MLA for Ste. Rose, Glen Cummings, today said the NDP government’s abandonment of Ranchers Choice Beef Co-op is the final result of its mishandling of the beef industry over the past three and a half years.

“From the BSE crisis onward, this government hasn’t been able to put a plan in place to help Manitoba’s beef industry,” he said. “While other provinces quickly took the initiative to develop greater processing capacity, the NDP in Manitoba continually dragged its feet with no idea how to move forward.”

Cummings said the business structure employed by the NDP effectively prevented the co-op from securing additional funding partners.

“If the NDP had worked aggressively with Ranchers Choice when the BSE crisis first struck Manitoba, it could have encouraged additional investment and support, and taken advantage of the demand that existed in the marketplace at the time,” he said.  “As a result of the government’s failure to do so, rural jobs have not been created, ranchers must continue to disperse their herds to other provinces and Manitoba still hasn’t increased its slaughter capacity, as other jurisdictions have.”    

Cummings said the “cut and run” tactics of the NDP on this issue clearly indicates its lack of commitment to rural Manitoba. “We are facing severe economic challenges throughout rural Manitoba,” he said. “Our residents should be very worried that the NDP government has no idea how to address the problems facing rural Manitoba.”