Manitoba to match federal agricultural support funding as U.S. tariffs announced
Province will provide $10.7 million to recently expanded AgriStability program
The Manitoba government has announced additional supports for the province's agriculture sector as U.S. President Donald Trump announced new U.S. tariffs.
Premier Wab Kinew announced Wednesday the province will provide $10.7 million in matching funds for the federal AgriStability program, which helps producers affected by large declines in income.
The federal government expanded the program late last month, increasing the compensation rate for 2025 while doubling the cap for payoffs to $6 million.
The announcement comes the same day U.S. President Donald Trump announced new global tariffs the U.S. government says will take effect immediately.
Brock Sigurdson from Big Sig Cattle Co. in the RM of North Norfolk, said the trade war with the U.S. will hurt the beef producer's ability to get better stock. He said talk of further tariffs is "frustrating."
"U.S. seed stock is something me and my brother definitely rely on for the purebred industry," Sigurdson said. "When stuff's thrown at you, it's not great."
Funds will buy province time: premier
Kinew says the tariffs will prop up the agricultural industry amid the trade war with the U.S. and Chinese tariffs on Canadian agriculture products.
"These are ways we can protect our economy," the premier said. "We can insulate against the shock of tariffs and give our economy time to adjust.
"If we have to build the Canadian market, if we have to look at other markets overseas, these investments we make as a government [are] going to give us time."
The new funding is on top of the $100 million the province set aside for the agriculture industry as part of the 2025 budget's $500-million tariff response contingency, as well as $140.8 million for business risk management programming.
"Best-case scenario, we don't have to spend any of it, and we can use that money for workforce development and accessing international market," Kinew said. "But if things continue to get more intense … we'll be there to protect the Manitoba economy."
With files from Bartley Kives