The Manitoba Standing Committee on Agriculture held four hearings, Dauphin, Brandon, Beausejour and Winnipeg to hear first hand from producers and other industry players the plight facing the grains and oilseeds sectors in Manitoba. All sessions had good to excellent participation with Brandon and Winnipeg sessions running past 3 a.m. Herm Martens, reeve of the RM of Morris says that agriculture needs the recognition it deserves.
Agriculture is rural Manitoba.
Not only agriculture, but also the rural lifestyle. Martens, who presented to the committee, said case in point was the last Federal election debates that had only a few remarks about farmers and agriculture. I think it's time when listening to the Americans talking about their farmers, they're not ashamed to say they need the farmers, while in Canada they hide them in the background. It's a primary industry and those drive the secondary industries. In the RM of Morris reeve says that too many young people with families and 10 to 15 years in the business are leaving the farm and getting day jobs.