“Unusually late” autumn weather has led Manitoba’s agriculture department to extend the requirement for permits to burn crop residue until Friday, Dec. 4.
The province had lifted the permit requirement on Sunday (Nov. 15) and planned to allow daytime burning through to the end of July 2010. Due to weather conditions, however, it re-imposed the permit rule effective Thursday.
Farmers in the province’s south had already started burning excess crop residue this week. According to a report in today’s Winnipeg Free Press, the burns left some parts of agricultural Manitoba with smoke “so thick it blanketed the landscape and left many people who have breathing difficulties confined to their homes.”
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The reinstated permit requirement means farmers must have prior authorization for daytime burning of crop residue and “non-crop herbage.”
Authorizations are issued for certain hours and in certain areas of the province based on weather, moisture and favourable smoke dispersion conditions. Night burning is banned year-round.
Burning permit forms, daily authorization reports and other information on Manitoba’s crop residue burning program are available online.
Stubble burning regulations are enforced by provincial environment officers and the RCMP, with violations subject to fines of over $2,000.
Incentives have been set up under the federal/provincial Growing Forward ag policy framework to encourage farmers to move away from the practice of stubble burning, the province noted.
