News

Manitoba Election: MPSG Urges Focus on Key Ag Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Carman, MB – Aug 29 – Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers (MPSG) has submitted the following letter to the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, the Green Party of Manitoba and the Manitoba Liberal Party.

As an association representing Manitoba’s pulse and soybean farmers, we feel it’s important to inform our current and potential lawmakers of the key issues affecting our members.

We also believe it’s valuable to keep you, our farmer members, up to date on what we’re asking of our political leaders on your behalf.

Below is a word-for-word copy of the body of the letter MPSG sent:
Pulses and Soybeans are good for the environment. Increasing pulse and soybean acres will reduce the province’s carbon footprint.

Pulses and soybeans have a small carbon footprint. They are rich in protein and in demand worldwide. They fix their own nitrogen, meaning they are able to grab, convert and use what’s already in their environment to grow healthy and strong. They require a minimal amount of fertilizer. They require a minimal amount of water. They require a minimal amount of fieldwork.

What will your party do to promote and support the increase of pulse and soybean acres in Manitoba?

Pulses are healthy and increasing consumption could reduce healthcare costs.

The United Nations declared 2016 the international year of pulses, recognizing the health benefits of eating beans on a regular basis. They are good for your heart, an excellent source of vitamins, fibre and protein. And they have a low glycemic index. Canada’s new food guide urges people to include them in their diets.

“We gave people with peripheral artery disease who have atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of blood vessels) in the legs half-a-cup of pulses every day for eight weeks. We were able to show they had better blood flow to the legs and lower blood cholesterol,” said Dr. Carla Taylor, Principal Investigator, Metabolic Nutrition, Canadian Centre for Agri-food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM) at St-Boniface Hospital, in a public release.

What will your party do to promote the consumption of pulses and healthy eating, overall?

Attracting value-add processing will create jobs, boost the economy and create sustainable markets.

A soybean crush facility and other crop processing facilities in Manitoba would bolster the economy, make the province a world leader in proteins and provide our fertile ag sector with healthy and long-lasting market options. Manitoba is home to some of the most sustainable electricity in the world. We are a centrally located province with a skilled workforce and accessible transportation hubs. Making Manitoba attractive for sustainable businesses would be an invaluable contribution to the health and prosperity of our agricultural sector.

Increased processing capacity in Manitoba would mean a reduction in carbon used to export raw commodities. Increased processing capacity would also mean an increase in value for the province’s farmers and possibly a reduction in price for the domestic consumer.

What will your party do to attract value-add processing to Manitoba? And what could your party do to ensure soybean oil is included the province’s biofuels mandate?

Research, breeding and variety/market development are paramount to a strong pulse and soybean sector. Manitoba’s pulse and soybean farmers need to be supported by strong research programming commitments from government as well as strong partnerships with groups such as MPSG on breeding and variety development.

What will your party do to increase the province’s capacity for pulse and soybean agronomic research, breeding,variety development and market development?
For more information, please contact:
Toban Dyck
Director of Communications, Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers
204-227-8875
toban@manitobapulse.ca