The Manitoba government’s introduction of a new special pilot project permit evaluation protocol will allow the construction of swine barns in the province to resume under 11 new conditions.
In 2006 the Manitoba NDP government banned the construction or expansion of swine barns in 35 rural municipalities and in 2011 extended the ban to the entire province resulting in a gradual decline in hog production and shortages in the processing sector.
Mike Telliet, the manager of sustainable development programs with Manitoba Pork, says the recently approved special pilot project permit evaluation protocol will allow new building to occur under 11 new conditions.
“One of the key ones,  a 200 per cent reduction in soil phosphorus limits,” said Telliet. “Right now the regulation allows for 180 parts per million of soil phosphorus buildup in soil. This new protocol will lower that to 60 parts per million for new barns, a significant reduction.”
The second new condition demands all new hog operations will have to inject their manure or incorporate it within 48 hours.
“Thirdly, hog farmers will need to sample and test manure over and above what’s required now,” he said. “Fourthly they will require significantly more land for spread fields than required before. We estimate hog producers will need up to or even more than twice as much land for spread fields as before.”
Telliet says hog barns must have enough land to spread at a one times phosphorus application rate. Even though they won’t be required to spread at that rate they will have to have enough land to be able to spread at that rate. Those are some of the  new conditions and requirement and there are others.  •
— By Harry Siemens