Ag News

Taking care of your mental health is critical and farmers across the prairies are as vulnerable as any other industry, maybe even more so when you consider how stressful the industry can be. 

Farmers in Manitoba now have greater access to vital mental health resources thanks to the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP), which offers no-cost counseling to farmers, their families, and employees over the age of 16.  

The possibility of Chinese canola tariffs has been hanging over Canadian canola producers for months—and the hammer came down over the weekend. 

The three Prairie, provincial canola grower associations have evaluated and selected 11 canola research projects to receive funding under the Canola Agronomic Research Program (CARP) in 2025. 

This investment includes over $2.3 million from Alberta Canola, SaskOilseeds and Manitoba Canola Growers, as well as over $764,000 from the Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) and over $363,000 from Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), bringing the total investment to over $3.4 million.

With U.S. President Donald Trump implementing 25% widespread tariffs on Canadian products this last Tuesday, Canadian agriculture and the canola industry is preparing for the repercussions and weighing their options ahead of the 2025 growing year. The focus now shifts to not only restoring trade relations between Canada and the U.S. but also looking at ways to improve the industry both internationally and domestically.

A strong market and a record number of cattle through the ring was the perfect way for Allan Munroe and his family and staff to celebrate ten years as owner/operator of Killarney Auction Mart.

Munroe moved to Killarney in 2011 to manage the operation, and then in February 2015 they were able to purchase the auction mart.  "It's been onwards and upwards ever since!"

The governments of Canada and Manitoba have teamed up to announce joint funding to support crop health in the province.

In a press release, the two levels of government indicated that they are providing $4.7 million in grant funding under the Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership (Sustainable CAP). Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn says the money will support 36 projects, including several that benefit the future of crop health in Manitoba, under the Research and Innovation Program over the next three years.

Tariffs are set to have a big impact on commodities, with the grain crops across Canada especially feeling the pinch.

With 25 per cent tariffs being put on both sides of the border following the US's original tariffs that came into effect at midnight, prices are expected to rise across the board.

Kyle Larkin, the Executive Director at Grain Growers Canada, says the tariffs will be devastating on both sides of the border.

Jill Verwey of Portage la Prairie has ascended to a prominent national role in Canadian agriculture, being named as the first vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA) during its recent annual general meeting in Ottawa. Verwey, a seasoned farmer specializing in cash crops, beef, and dairy, also serves as the president of Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), Manitoba's leading farm policy organization.

Nine new projects have been funded under the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) 2024 call for proposals.

BCRC funding to the nine projects totals $1.43 million. Each project brings funding from other sources, leveraging producer funding with over $3.1 million.  

Funding decisions are made by the BCRC's producer council based on priorities identified in the Canadian Beef Research and Technology Transfer Strategy.  

Brandon University is proud to announce that Dr. Bryan Cassone has been awarded the Research Manitoba Innovation Proof-of-Concept Grant for his pioneering project on soybean disease diagnostics.

Dr. Cassone, alongside co-investigators Dr. Baljeet Singh from Assiniboine College and Dr. Chris LeMoine from BU, is developing an innovative molecular-based tool for the rapid and accurate detection of root and stem diseases in soybean crops.