With the Manitoba hog industry back on track to move forward the Manitoba Swine Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) is proving helpful to those considering building new swine production facilities. Manitoba Pork Council created the MSIDC to help farmers who are considering building a hog barn navigate the permitting and conditional use hearing processes.

MP Chair George Matheson explained at fall producer meetings in November in Niverville and Portage La Prairie, MB there’s more interest in building new barns, especially in western Manitoba.

“Some of the potential hurdles include the complex permitting process and the conditional use hearing often intimidating so we decided to assist producers further to get that concrete in the ground and the beginning of construction,” said Matheson.

He said permitting can be lengthy and complex and Manitoba Pork offers some financial and engineering assistance. Next, the conditional use presentation is precious to producers.

“Sometimes in some municipalities, you come across individuals who plain and simply do not like hog farming, and they will come up with any reason they can to try and stop them, so we do recommend a professional, Peter Mah, to carry the ball and make the presentation on behalf of the producer,” said Matheson. “He does it in an obvious manner that is very presentable and digestible for the municipal council.”

The MPC chair said interest in the services provided by the corporation is enormous.

“Many questions need answers and lots of information gathering, and in many cases, producers are happy to get professional help.”

Manitoba Pork general manager Andrew Dickson said if a farmer comes to them for help, they schedule services the farmer signs off. “They pay us for those services, we hire the consultants, and use the funds collected to pay the consultants,” said Dickson.

He introduced two of them, Brian Yaschyshyn and Peter Mah, whose job is to help the producer go through the planning procedure including the steps before entering into the planning approval process and helping them through the approval process with the local municipality.

If the producer wants more help, especially with the management plans he needs for sustainable development with the permits and licenses and what he needs for the office of the fire commissioner, it is available.

Dickson said the proposals get pretty big whether large or small items, they all need attention and proper direction. When dealing with more extensive operations with 10,000 finisher places finding a site is not as simple as just putting a pin on a map. It takes quite a bit of effort to overlook the soils, the availability of land for a manure application.

“You have to watch setbacks for rivers and creeks, the neighbours, the distances from neighbours, from villages, and distances from towns,” he said. “Municipalities differ concerning what their planning standards are, so it takes a bit of time and effort. But if done well, it can go quite smoothly.”

Dickson described one project this year, a reasonably large one where he went to the meeting where the council approved the application in 15 minutes or so, and they left in less than an hour. In the past, some of those public hearings dragged on for days, and even somewhere they called in the RCMP to restore order.

“We want to avoid all those bad things that used to happen 15, 20 years ago.” Another significant change is the makeup of the municipal councils. Some have no farmers on them, and maybe the Mayor or Reeve have no farm background at all.

“They have no idea what you’re talking about when it comes to a farm. We have to be very careful that we get them on board early in the game, so they understand what we’re doing here,” said Dickson. “For some of them it’s not an issue, with some very keen to get these developments. Others, it’s problematic. With a bit of effort and time up front, I think we can resolve all our problems”. •

— By Harry Siemens