Material From Original Gov't Discussion Paper
[ Intro to production change forces from original discussion papersource#1, "Historical Overview" section p. 1 ]Manitoba’s agriculture sector has changed dramatically over the past century. In 1900 nearly 80 per cent of the province’s population lived on farms. Today the bulk of agricultural production is destined for export to markets across the world, and only about 3 per cent of Manitobans are involved in primary food production.
Improved skills, technologies, equipment and distribution methods have greatly increased food production and lowered food prices. Sixty years ago, each Manitoba farm produced enough to feed 50 people, while today, each farm feeds 350 people. Today Manitoba consumers only have to work about one-third of the time they did 60 years ago to buy the same basket of food items.
The growth of agriculture over the past century has been one of peaks and troughs. However, there has been a steady increase in livestock production.
In the early 1900s, Winnipeg became known as "Chicago of the North" because of its role as a transportation hub and a centre for cattle slaughter and grain. By the 1980s much of the beef finishing industry had moved to Alberta. While Manitoba’s cattle slaughter dropped from a high of 581,000 head in 1976 to only 20,000 in 1998, the beef cow herd increased to 550,000 cows by 1998.
The hog and poultry sectors have continued to grow steadily, primarily through intensive production methods. Market hog production rose from 870,000 head in 1975 to over 4.7 million in 1999. Farm cash receipts from livestock climbed from $780 million at the start of the decade to over $1 billion by 1999, with most of this increase coming from increased hog production. Farmers currently have $13.7 billion invested in farm assets such as land, buildings, machinery and livestock, and spend nearly $2.5 billion annually on goods and services.
The new processing facilities coming on stream in Manitoba over the next two years will have the capacity to slaughter and process almost 10 million hogs annually. To meet the increased demand, more than $1.3 billion in investment and operating capital will be needed to expand the region’s hog production facilities. Some of this expansion is likely to occur in Manitoba, although some will also occur in neighbouring provinces and states.
The pace of expansion is accelerating. Hog production increased by 55 per cent in the 10 years between 1984 and 1994, and by 58 per cent in the four years between 1994 and 1998. The beef cowherd grew about 2 per cent annually during the 1980s, compared to almost 6 per cent annual growth in the 1990s.
The increase in efficiency has been a major factor in the growth of Manitoba’s livestock production. For example, Manitoba’s dairy industry is producing nearly the same amount of milk as it did 10 years ago, but with 16 per cent fewer cows. From 1994 to 1999, the province’s chicken production increased by 40 per cent. Table egg production increased by 15 per cent in the same period.
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Material From "Common Ground" Government Report
Other Material and References
(former headings)
Labor Supply
Mechanization
Research and Development
Technological Innovation