Province To Implement New Regulations For Livestock In 2018

Dec 20, 2017

Changes to the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation (LMMMR), which take effect Jan. 1, 2018, have been approved and implemented to provide clarity and modernize regulations.

Manitoba's Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires made the announcement Tuesday.

“Our government recognizes the important balance of maintaining strict environmental oversight while supporting sustainable growth in the livestock industry,” said Squires.

“Following extensive consultations, the Department of Sustainable Development has taken steps to modernize regulations without compromising our commitment to environmental protection.”

Changes to the regulation will improve clarity for both producers and department officials, while maintaining some of the country’s strictest regulatory requirements and environmental protection measures for livestock operations.

Pig operations will now be subject to the same robust legislation as other livestock sectors.

Squires noted these amendments align with recent changes to the Environment Act under red tape reduction legislation and continue to balance environmental protection with economic development.

Manitoba conducted extensive public and industry consultations in the process of developing changes, which include:

-empowering front-line staff to respond more quickly, and reducing notification and processing steps for permits;

-increasing transparency by placing more information on the public registry;

-harmonizing setbacks from surface water courses with the Nutrient Management Regulation and removing in-season nitrate limits;

-improving variance options to enhance biosecurity measures for industry;

-levelling the playing field by clarifying permit requirements for seasonal feeding areas and outdoor confinement areas for small pig operations; and

-monitoring of operations such as livestock drinking water samples based on risk, rather than mandatory samples for all large operations.

Source : Steinbachonline

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.