The Agriculture
Advantage
In Manitoba, agriculture is big business.
This diverse and dynamic sector contributes billions of dollars
each year and 62,000 jobs to Manitoba's economy. That means one
in every nine Manitobans is employed by the agricultural
industry.
Cultivate Your Career
A career with Manitoba Agriculture, Food
and Rural Initiatives lets you be part of a vital and growing
industry. This diverse government department offers many
challenging career opportunities. The department works in
partnership with producers and agri-business to help make our
agriculture sector even stronger. And a strong agricultural
industry means more jobs for Manitobans.
What Kind of Work do Manitoba Agriculture,
Food and Rural Initiatives Employees Perform?
A career in this area offers you the
opportunity to specialize in plant genetics, evaluate the newest
animal husbandry techniques or develop new business management
training programs for producers. Marketing staff work with
producers and agri-food processors to develop new products and
access export opportunities in Canada and to more than 120
countries around the world.
Many Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives careers
begin with a background in science, management, finance and
administration, computer technology, research and field
operations.
Grow With Us
There is a strong future in this growing, dynamic sector. For
example, Manitoba pork exports have tripled in the last five
years to 30,000 tonnes by meeting the specific needs of foreign
markets in Europe, Latin America, Asia/Pacific and the Middle
East. Our potato industry is worth $350 million in exports.
Locally, farmers are diversifying to meet global needs with
specialty crops and exotic products such as ostrich and wild
boar. Manitoba's $3 billion agribusiness is projected to double
in size in the next 10 years.
People Helping People
The department's most valuable resource is its skilled,
knowledgeable people. Our role is to provide leadership,
programs and services that will help build a strong agricultural
sector and a prosperous economic climate.
To achieve this, Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural
Initiatives staff use a variety of extension methods including
seminars, hands-on demonstrations, conferences and individual
consultations. We strive to educate people and help put that
knowledge to work for them. Our staff provides links between
agricultural producers, processors, consumers and markets and
bridge the gap between research and application at the farm
level.
Whatever an employee's role within Manitoba Agriculture, Food
and Rural Initiatives, the focus remains that of people helping
people. We are committed to providing the best quality service
to all our customers, ranging from rural families to all
participants in the agricultural industry.
Excellence in client service is our number one priority.
Planning for the Future
Ultimately, the future of the industry depends on the land's
ability to support longer term agricultural production. Manitoba
Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives actively supports the
industry shift from the past emphasis on commodity production
toward a more sustainable industry. Our staff is part of an
industry driven team of experts that work on innovative projects
in sustainable agriculture.
As part of part of the Department’s restructuring under
Growing Opportunities, we are increasing our focus on
value-added production and encouraging value-added ventures on
farms and in rural communities. The goal is for family farms to
become more profitable and for rural enterprises to stimulate
local economies.
In the future Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural
Initiatives will continue to support the development of new
generation co-operatives. New generation co-ops can help
increase producer returns by providing them with local markets,
and can lead to new processing plants that add value and create
jobs while pooling local resources together.
We have positioned MAFRI to provide leadership for many new
value-added opportunities including: rural-based processing,
agri-forestry and agri-energy production. With the Growing
Opportunities structure in place along with the necessary
programs and support, MAFRI is ready to guide the agri-food
industry forward into the next generation.
Consider a Career in Agriculture
You can help Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
meet its goals and priorities as we enter the 21st century. As
an employee of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
you can expect competitive wages and benefits along with a
commitment to employment equity. There are also opportunities
for new employees with French as a second language. French
language services are offered in St. Pierre Jolys and Somerset.
The majority of our positions require a minimum of a Bachelor of
Science in Agriculture or a Bachelor of Human Ecology. A
Master's degree is preferred for some specialist positions.
Technical or administrative positions may require a Diploma
in Agriculture, Business Administration or Commerce. Management,
professional, technical and administrative support career
opportunities are available within each of our three divisions.
A background in agriculture is not essential for all positions
within the department, but is considered an asset.
Grow in a Growing Industry
For information about Degree and/or Diploma programs
related to agriculture and offered in Manitoba, see the
University of Manitoba and
Assiniboine Community College websites. For more information on Manitoba Agriculture, Food and
Rural Initiatives career opportunities, contact:
AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL INITIATIVES CONSOLIDATED HUMAN
RESOURCES UNIT,
CONSERVATION, WATER STEWARDSHIP, INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
TRADE
803-401 York Avenue
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0P8
Phone: (204) 945-7078
Fax: (204) 948-4735 |
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In
Manitoba, more than one job in nine depends on agricultural
production.
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Each
Manitoba farm feeds about 350 people.
Ø
Manitoba's agricultural exports are shipped to other Canadian
provinces and more than 150 other countries.
Ø
About 50% of the food sold by
Manitoba's grocery and other food stores is derived from
products grown and processed in Manitoba.
Ø
In 2003,
Manitoba's 42,000 dairy cows produced 289.8 million liters of
milk and cream.
Ø
For every dollar of gross farm income produced in
Manitoba, almost two dollars is generated in the overall
provincial economy.
Ø
There are 21,071 farms in
Manitoba.
Ø
In 2001, 23% of Manitoba's farm operators were female.
Ø
The strawberry capital of
Canada is Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.
Ø
An acre of June bearing strawberries in
Manitoba is capable of producing more than 10,000 lbs of fruit.
Ø
The first variety of canola was developed in
Manitoba by Baldur Stefansson. Canola oil contains the lowest
level of saturated fat of any oil.
Ø
It takes three pounds of potatoes to produce one pound of
potato chips.
Ø
French fries made in
Manitoba are enjoyed throughout the world including Russia,
Mexico and Japan.
Did you know?
Most of us don't realize just how many products come to
us from agriculture. It's easy to identify products like eggs,
milk, cheese, meat, fruit and vegetables. But in addition to
food, agriculture contributes so much more. Plants and animal
material can be broken down into several main ingredients that
are used in a variety of manufactured products. Below is a list
of items that come to us from Manitoba
agricultural products that you might not have known about:
 |
From wheat:
Mascara
Creams and lotions
Bath oil
Ethanol |
 |
From eggs:
Eye drops
Toothpaste
Throat lozenges
Glue |
 |
From corn:
Paper plates
Power steering fluid
Disposable diapers
Spark plugs
Antibiotics |
 |
From flax:
Surgical tubing
Car polish
Brake lining
Herbicides |
 |
From canola:
Detergent
Plant food
Suntan oil
Hydraulic fluid |
 |
From milk:
Embroidery ribbon |
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