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Canada, Manitoba sign agreement to grow agriculture and agri-foods sector over five years

April 10, 2023 – Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture minister Derek Johnson announced $221 million for strategic agricultural initiatives in Manitoba under the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sectors.  This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

Manitoba has launched a suite of programs under the Sustainable CAP framework that aim to help the sector reach its full potential by expanding business opportunities, investing in sustainable practices throughout the sector, and strengthening resiliency of the entire food chain. Manitoba’s programs were developed through significant consultation with industry partners, who highlighted a number of priority areas, including research, innovation and market development, emergency preparedness, and technology advancement.

The new Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program has been developed based on feedback from the industry and supports ecological goods and services by funding on-farm projects that remove carbon (or carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible applicants include community pastures, agricultural crown land forage lease-holders, First Nations and Metis communities, and farmers outside of watershed district boundaries.

Canadian producers also have access to an enhanced suite of business risk management (BRM) programs to help them manage significant risks that threaten the viability of their farms and are beyond their capacity to manage. The Sustainable CAP came into effect April 1, 2023, and replaces the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP).