Breaking News & Updates
The following information became available after
the September 2008 issue of Cattle Country was printed:
MCPA Update
September 8, 2008
The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association will be meeting
with the provincial government this week to further discuss the
flooding situation in the Interlake/Westlake regions.
Once final word is received from the Federal and Provincial
governments on what they are willing to do financially to assist
farmers, it will be posted right here with pertinent links.
Manitoba News Release
September 5, 2008
PROVINCE TO COVER FULL COSTS OF WELL-WATER
TESTING FOR FLOOD-AFFECTED INTERLAKE
RESIDENTS
Residents Including Those from Arborg, Gypsumville, Fisher
Branch, Ashern Urged to Test Well Water
Residents of the Interlake are encouraged to test wells that may
have been affected by overland flooding and the province will pay
for the precautionary tests, Water Stewardship Minister Christine
Melnick announced today.
“We are urging residents to test their well water as soon as pos-
sible, as a precaution, due to record rains,” said Melnick. “Some
areas received about twice the normal amount of rain since June.”
The Arborg, Gypsumville, Fisher Branch and Ashern areas re-
ceived 385 to 474 millimetres of precipitation since June, the high-
est amount recorded since 1951.
As a precautionary measure, the Office of the Chief Medical Of-
ficer of Health advises that all people using water from wells or
other sources that may have been affected by heavy rains or flood-
ing should boil their water before using it or find alternative sup-
plies of drinking water until flooding subsides and appropriate
tests are satisfactory.
“The storm of Aug. 11 to 12 will go down in the records as a one-
in-150-year event because 85 mm of rain fell over 90 minutes on
already saturated ground,” said Melnick
The province covers 70 per cent of such water testing but under
the current circumstances, well owners’ 30 per cent share is being
waived for the flooded areas until Nov. 30.
For further details on water testing, contact the local Manitoba
Water Stewardship or Manitoba Conservation office, the Manitoba
Office of Drinking Water at 204-945-5762 or Health Links–Info
Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257.
Access to Manitoba well-water fact sheets is available at: www.
gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cmoh/water.html.
1
Manitoba News Release
September 5, 2008
MANITOBA FORAGE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM NOW
AVAILABLE TO PRODUCERS
Applications are now available for the new Forage Assistance
Program for Manitoba livestock producers who are in need of fi-
nancial help to transport feed or livestock due to excess moisture
or drought conditions, Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
Minister Rosann Wowchuk announced today.
“We know that for affected livestock producers it’s urgent they
can get feed to the areas most affected by this year’s excessive rains,
overland flooding and drought,” said Wowchuk. “We’ve accelerat-
ed our work on this program to deliver assistance to producers as
soon as possible.”
Application forms are now available at Manitoba Agriculture,
Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) GO Offices and will be avail-
able online beginning this weekend at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture.
MAFRI staff will also be available to provide producers with infor-
mation and advice on livestock nutrition, alternative feeds and fi-
nancial management. Contact any MAFRI GO Office to answer
questions or to arrange for an appointment.
To be eligible for the Forage Assistance Program, producers
must be short of feed due to drought or excess moisture condi-
tions and have had ownership of the animals from Aug. 1, 2008,
to the date of application. Also, the animals must be located in
Manitoba.
The amount of assistance available will vary with the type of
feed and livestock. Eligible livestock include beef cattle, dairy cat-
tle fed to produce beef, bison, elk, sheep, goats, deer, ranch horses
and llamas.
The program applies across Manitoba, providing feed transpor-
tation assistance for hay and straw being transported to feed to
eligible animals. As a farm management alternative, the program
provides support to transport livestock to alternate feeding loca-
tions in Manitoba.
In addition to hay and straw, in specifically designated rural
municipalities (RMs), grain, pelleted screenings and concentrat-
ed feeds are also eligible for transportation assistance. The desig-
nated RMs include St. Laurent, Coldwell, Siglunes, Grahamdale,
Fisher, Bifrost, Eriksdale, Armstrong, Gimli, Alonsa, Mossey Riv-
er, Ethelbert, Mountain South and Lawrence, areas of Northern
Affairs jurisdiction and the First Nations of Peguis, Fisher River,
Lake Manitoba, Ebb and Flow, Sandy Bay, Little Saskatchewan,
Lake St. Martin, Dauphin River, Kinonjeoshtegon, O-Chi-Chak-
Ko-Sipi and Skownan, and Pinaymootang.
Completed applications must be submitted to a MAFRI GO Of-
fice no later than March 31, 2009.
 A hay listing service and feeding location service is available to
farmers who need to purchase hay or straw or have excess hay and
straw for sale. The listing is located at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/pro-
duction.html under Gateways.
For further information please contact your nearest MAFRI GO Of-
fice.

MCPA News Release

September 2, 2008

HAY SHORTAGE AFFECTING MANITOBA CATTLE

PRODUCERS

The Manitoba Cattle Producers Association is putting the call out

to farmers to aide in the shortage of feed cattle producers are facing
this winter.
In an effort to offset a serious feed shortage, the MCPA is asking all
producers that do not normally drop their straw to drop it this year
so that it can be baled.
If you have straw available please call the MCPA office at 1-800-
772-0458 and we will connect you with producers who are in need.
Additionally, if you have or are looking for feed, a provincial gov-
ernment website has been created to match those who need hay and
those who have excess hay at http://web2.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/hay-
search/index.php