Proud of Our Agri-Food Sector and Our Rural Communities -About Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives-Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

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October 2005

About Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives

Proud of Our Agri-Food Sector and Our Rural Communities

Our province's farm population represents a relatively small proportion of the total population. Nevertheless, our farmers affect the lives and pocketbooks of Manitobans far out of proportion to their numbers.

Our Food -- The Best There Is

We are very proud of the high quality, abundance, and safety of Manitoba's agricultural products -- which are among the best found anywhere in the world. This province's agri-food products are known world-wide for their high quality and their reliability of supply.

Our Low Food Prices

Food prices have not increased as much as wages in Manitoba, so a consumer only has to work one third of the time now as he or she did 60 years ago to buy Manitoba produced meat, milk, eggs, bread and vegetables. In great part these relatively low food prices are the result of increased productivity by this province's technically up-to-date farmers. These low prices are available not only to Manitobans but also to exporters and consumers outside this province.

Our Food -- As Safe as it Gets

Manitoba benefits through Canada having the highest food safety standards in the world -- as a result of regulations and an inspection system developed by both federal and provincial governments. For example: dairy farms, dairy processing plants, hatcheries, and egg grading stations are regularly inspected for cleanliness; veterinarians and meat inspectors are present at packing houses; provincial health inspectors regularly inspect food processing plants; animal health and crop protection products must go through a lengthy testing process to ensure that human health and environmental safety are assured prior to licensing; and the federal government has a testing system to ensure no harmful residues remain in our food.

Sustainable Agriculture -- We Work with Nature

In Manitoba new farming methods and equipment now allow our producers to reduce the frequency of cultivating their fields. By doing so, they are decreasing soil erosion caused by water and wind. Many Manitoba farmers recognize the value of planting shelterbelts and forages (grass and alfalfa) on land that erodes easily. Plant breeding research and new biotechnology approaches have been and continue to be used in developing crops that are environmentally friendly as well as resistant to insects and diseases.

Our Family Farms

About 21,000 farm units form the backbone of Manitoba's agri-food industry. Nearly all of these units -- 98% -- are family operated. Families own and work on these farms -- parents and grown children or the families of brothers or sisters who grew up on farms. Manitoba farms come in all sizes but average about 361 hectares. Strong and prosperous family farms are very important for maintaining a healthy and viable agri-food sector in this province.

Our Farmers -- The Best Anywhere

Manitoba is proud of its farmers who are amongst the most efficient and technologically advanced producers found anywhere in the world. In the 1940's, one Manitoba farm fed about 50 people. Today one Manitoba farm feeds about 350 people. This province's producers have earned a solid reputation for their high quality, abundance, and reliability of supply. They can compete against other farmers in a global marketplace significantly free of government imposed trade distortions and barriers.

Creating Jobs

Although farmers represent approximately 2.6% of the province's population, they have an enormous effect on the jobs and incomes of many others. In 2002, about 32,000 people were directly employed in Manitoba’s agricultural industry. An estimated 17,000 people were employed in other areas of the farm economy as a direct result of the agricultural industry. In 2003, about one in eleven jobs in the province was the result of agricultural production.

On Manufacturing

Food and beverage processing is the most important manufacturing industry in Manitoba, producing more than $3 billion worth of goods and services, or over one-quarter of the province's total manufacturing output. Most of the agricultural inputs used by the industry are produced in Manitoba. In 2002, there were 42 agricultural implement manufacturing companies in Manitoba employing almost 1760 workers and producing close to $360 million worth of equipment.

On People's Spending

In 2000 Manitobans spent $2.34 billion at grocery stores -- a considerable portion of this amount was for food purchases. That's over one-quarter of the value of the province's retail trade. Of each livestock product dollar, farmers got anywhere from 29 cents (for chickens) to 81 cents (for eggs). Grain farmers got significantly less. The remainder went to packagers, transporters, processors, wholesalers and retailers.

Our Export Contribution

Farm exports are a big boost to Canada's balance-of-trade. Total Canadian agriculture and food exports amounted to approximately $26.5 billion in 2004. Manitoba's share of these exports amounted to approximately $3.4 billion in 2004, just under thirteen percent. A national farm trade surplus helps Canada to offset trade deficits in other products and services.