Municipality of Rhineland officials are questioning the Province's decision to close two of its agricultural offices in Altona.

The Rural Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development and MASC offices in Altona will be shuttered by April 1, 2021.

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"We're quite concerned about a couple of things," said Reeve Don Wiebe.

First, he says officials want to know what process the Province used to decide which offices would close and which ones would remain open.

Second, Council is curious as to why the Province opted to move such a well-established and central location to Morden.

"If you look at the east part of the constituency, (farmers) would have to travel either to Morden or, I suspect, Steinbach, for their closest office," noted Wiebe.

After reaching out to a sample of local farmers, Wiebe says some conduct much of their business related to these offices online, while others continue to rely on the Altona site.

As a result, Council is seeking a meeting with Manitoba Agriculture Minister Blaine Pedersen to further discuss the matter.

"We want to put in a plug to have a reconsideration on this so we'll see how it goes, but that's the effort that Council is going to make," said Wiebe.

Related article:
Altona And Morris Mayors React To Ag Office Closures Set For Spring