On Tuesday May 31, I spoke in response to a Ministerial Statement on the conditions facing farmers in Manitoba.  My comments (from Hansard) are below. 

Excess Moisture Affecting Agricultural Crops

Mr. Gerrard: Madam Speaker, we are in a tough situation in Manitoba at the moment, with all the excess moisture and the crops being seeded later than usual. I think it's actually a–pretty positive news that we've got 36 to 46 per cent of the farmland seeded. It looked like it was lower than that, and given the lateness of the spring, I think that we need to look at the fact that there is already a sig­ni­fi­cant proportion of the seeding done.

      There is time, still, 'til the June 20th, ordinary date for crop insurance, for seeding to be completed. I called, twice, on the gov­ern­ment to make a decision to extend the crop insurance. I'm not sure if extending the paperwork also 'instends' the planting date. If that's true, that's good.

      I've also called for looking at cover crops, whether that could be supported later on. I think we owe a special duty to farmers and to the world, indeed, to try and produce as much grain as we can, and that extending the seeding is a positive thing because, hopefully, with climate change, the fall will be extended, as well.

      It is a tough situation. It's not time to panic, but it's a time to plan really well and do the best we can to support our farmers and do every­thing we can to en­sure that they are able, where possible, to get their crops in, even if, in some cases, it's late.

      Thank you.