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A new future for Peak of the Market

On Monday March 14th, I spoke at second reading on the Peak of the Market reorganization Act.   This bill will fully open the market for vegetables in Manitoba.   Our Manitoba Liberal caucus had a really good discussion with the leaders at Peak of the Market.  They are fully in support of this change which will bring new opportunities as well as new challenges for Peak of the Market.  Manitoba Liberals are supporting this legislation, in part because the folks at Peak of the Market have asked for the changes.

Bill 12–The Peak of the Market Reorganization Act

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights): Mr. Speaker, a few words on this bill on Peak of the Market.

Peak of the Market has been around for 80 years. It has an in­cred­ible reputation. I think of all the cor­por­ations in Manitoba, it's probably one of the best known as a Manitoba cor­por­ation which Manitobans buy product from every day of the year, and it's been well-supported. It's not just potatoes; the carrots are amazing. I have family who makes sure that when they go to the grocery store that they get Peak of the Market carrots because they're far and away better than any from anywhere else.

      But squash, pumpkins, beets, asparagus, parsnip–all really good products which do very well here in Manitoba and are sold in many other places, not only across Canada, but in the United States.

      Peak of the Market has an amazing track record and a phenomenal reputation for contributing to charitable causes in Manitoba. Annually and regular­ly, they contribute produce to Manitoba harvest areas and has been for many years, except perhaps the last two years with COVID, an annual Peak of the Market dinner. Larry McIntosh, when he was the CEO, came with his carrot microphone and mini quiz on questions of minutiae of vegetable production and sales in Manitoba. I've been to many, many of the dinners, and one of the special characteristics is that every bit of food on the table comes from Manitoba, and any MLAs who have not been there need to go to a Peak of the Market dinner. They are excellent and a real tribute to the produce that–in the variety of produce that is grown here in Manitoba.

      The changes which are in this bill will allow for an open market for vegetables in Manitoba. It holds great promise for the future of Peak of the Market with the potential for new markets and for new products. It also holds the potential for sig­ni­fi­cant risks, which it's im­por­tant to acknowl­edge, but I believe that with Peak of the Market's track record and the personnel, that they will manage to make sure that Peak of the Market does well.

      As a caucus, we met with Pamela Kolochuk and Peter Loewen, CEO and chair of the board of Peak of the Market. We ap­pre­ciate the time that they took to meet with our caucus. We understand that Peak of the Market has not only been consulted but that they've been very involved in developing this legis­lation and involved in the design of the changes and support these changes, and think that it is time to make these changes.

      We in the Liberal party are supporters of this legis­lation. We believe in Peak of the Market, and we believe that the leaders in Peak of the Market have taken good care to have a close look at the legis­lation, and they believe that they will prosper and do well and that Manitoba will prosper and do well.

      We have an excellent climate for growing vege­tables and excellent soils for growing vegetables; excellent con­di­tions we will need in the years of climate change–warming in the years ahead–to make sure that we've got the water for irrigation and water storage and that we continue to manage water in ways that allows growers from–vegetable growers in Manitoba to do well.

      We also anticipate that these changes will not only benefit the existing growers–Peak of the Market, who have signed onto this–that they will also benefit small and large vegetable producers, new as well as old, and that vegetables, of course, are seen as in­creasingly im­por­tant both for im­prove­ments in health as well as to decrease the overall production of greenhouse gases when meat is substituted for vege­tables and vegetables are consumed to a greater extent.

      So I look forward to many, many more annual Peak of the Market dinners and a very suc­cess­ful venture in vegetable production in Manitoba by many, many growers and many good sales in the years ahead from Peak of the Market.

      Thank you, merci, miigwech, dyakuyu. All the best for the Peak of the Market in the years to come.

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