The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association

While I was in Brandon on Thursday, I had a chance to stop by the annual meeting of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association. People were in a much better mood than a year ago with prices for young animals considerably improved.

I learned several interesting facts:

1) In spite of the NDP government's attack on cattle producers and their activities along the creeks and streams around Manitoba, I heard very clearly that many cattle producers have been working hard to improve their riparian environmental stewardship for some time. Indeed, I heard remarkable stories of cattle farmers who continued to put money into improved riparian habitat even in the darkest days of the BSE problems. This is a story which needs to be told more often.

2) One farmer told me a story which illustrates the problems with wet weather this last year. He told me how he looked out over his field one day, and all he could see was whitecaps. Those who did not visit affected parts of rural Manitoba often don't really appreciate just how bad it was this last year.

3) I also heard kudos from a cattle producer for the federal and provincial support programs during the worst part of the BSE problem. They may not have been as quick as people wanted, and they may not have been perfect, but they did help many farmers get through some pretty difficult times. This cattle producer was going to vote Conservative, so he did not say this because of political bias, but he did say (without me even asking) that the help of the federal Liberal government made a difference.