Agricultural Research

While in Brandon on Monday, I passed by the Brandon Research Centre - a major site for agricultural research in Manitoba.

Though the Brandon Research Centre is a federal institution, agricultural research is a shared provincial and federal responsibility.

In this context, the performance of the NDP government has been singularly disappointing. A visit to the NDP government web site does have a place where you can click to find out about the NDP approach to agricultural research. Clicking on this spot - one is referred to a site where there is a list of funded programs including ARDI (the Agricultural Research and Development Initiative), BSE and CAIS. The latter are not research programs though the former is. What is disappointing is that there is no clear provincial vision for agricultural research.

Why is this important? It is important because research and innovation lead the way to the future. If there is no vision for agricultural research and innovation, there is no vision for the future of agriculture. Investments in agricultural research are vital to the future of agriculture in Manitoba. A clear provincial vision for agricultural research is vital to a clear vision for the future of agriculture in our province.

The lack of a clear NDP vision for agricultural research in Manitoba is one more sign of the directionless government of Gary Doer's NDP. It is one more reason why we need to change the government. It is one more reason why we need a Liberal government in our province to set a clear direction for agricultural research and the for future of agriculture in our province.