WESTERN PRODUCER — Manitoba’s pork industry is welcoming the help against tariffs, announced by the province late last week.
WE“Manitoba Pork has been collaborating with the Province of Manitoba to develop programming that will help increase the number of hogs finished in Manitoba and increase value added processing here at home,” Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl said in an Aug. 31 release.
Program changes announced on Friday reflect those talks, he added.
In particular, Dahl pointed to changes to the Operating Credit Guarantee Program and Diversification Loan Guarantee program.
“In addition to helping support trade diversification efforts and increased value-added processing in Manitoba, the measures announced will support jobs in both urban and rural parts of Manitoba and help provide economic stability to our communities,” Dahl said.
Manitoba tariff aid adds up to more than $100 million
On Aug. 28, the province announced more than $100 million in supports, plus changes to some programs run by the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC). The aid wasn’t exclusive to agriculture, but ag industries did feature heavily in the announcement.
Manitoba beekeepers in particular got singled out. Honey is among the products targeted by U.S. tariffs, and Manitoba is Canada’s biggest honey exporter. The province accounted for more than half of shipments last year, exporting more than 64 per cent of all honey produced. A significant amount of that goes to the U.S.
The Aug. 28 announcement said that MASC will work with beekeepers on specific supports for their sector.
MASC will also let farms borrow more under the Diversification Loan Guarantee Program ($5 million, compared to $1.5 million). The same program will now have a wider eligibility. It’s been opened to grain and oilseed operations, and applications will now count “investment in primary agricultural infrastructure in Manitoba” as a valid purpose.
The Operating Credit Guarantee Program has also been boosted to $3 million for individuals, corporations and partnerships.
The province also said that they are “increasing the guaranteed portion of loans under both the Operating Credit Guarantee Program and Diversification Loan Guarantee program to 33.33 per cent from 25 percent.”
“Our agriculture sector is a cornerstone of Manitoba’s economy and vital to the future of our province,” Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said in the release. “We will continue working alongside Manitoba producers to ensure agriculture remains strong, competitive and growing for generations to come.”
General tariff supports
Manitoba’s aid package also includes:
- $500,000 to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters,
- $50 million for the Manitoba Trade Resilience Loan Program,
- $500,000 more for the Export Support Program,
- $250,000 for export advisory services, which includes market development,
- $500,000 for interprovincial trade missions impacting local alcohol, and
- $13.7 million to help employers with wage subsidy supports.
Tariff-impacted businesses also got a tax carrot. They can now defer provincially administrated tax payments from Sept. 1-Dec. 31, 2026.
Jill Verwey, president of the Keystone Agricultural Producers, was among the industry leaders cited in the same Aug. 28 press release.
“We’re pleased to see the government’s commitment to working with our industry during this pivotal time in trade, particularly with the uncertainty and challenges being faced by Manitoba farmers and those especially hard-hit sectors,” she said.
“Agriculture is a capital-intensive business, and this commitment to help support farmers as well as making these increases to loan guarantees will mean crucial access to capital and operating dollars that farmers need now.”
U.S. outreach needed
While they welcome the support measures, Manitoba Pork is also pointing to their work drumming up support for cross-border trade in the U.S. They’re talking to American industry partners “to impress the importance of an integrated North American hog sector upon federal, state and local officials.”
“Several engagements have taken place over the last number of months, with more to come before the end of the calendar year,” the pork group said.
That matches the tactics both beef and pork producers were pushing for early last year, during the first wave of U.S. tariff threats.
About the author
Editor
Alexis Stockford is the editor of the Glacier FarmMedia news hub, managing the Manitoba Co-operator. Alexis grew up on a mixed farm near Miami, Man., and graduated with her journalism degree from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. She joined the Co-operator as a reporter in 2017, covering current agricultural news, policy, agronomy, farm production and with particular focus on the livestock industry and regenerative agriculture. She previously worked as a reporter for the Morden Times in southern Manitoba.
