Federal Government invests in Manitoba agriculture

Investment will be used to develop an online tool

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Canada’s Federal Government is investing over $1 million to help farmers in Manitoba try to predict the effects of flooding, excess moisture and extreme drought on farmlands in the province.

$1.1 million will be given to the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA) to develop a hydrology (science of the earth’s water) model of the Assiniboine River. The model will be used to develop a web-based tool that farmers can use to collect information on their farmland, manage moisture levels and assess risks.

"Extreme weather events have created many challenges for Prairie farmers in recent years,” Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture, said in a release. “We're committed to working together with the agriculture sector to equip farmers with the tools they need to proactively manage business risks such as these."

Since 2007, various governments have been required to respond to severe moisture with AgriRecovery assistance; the MFGA says its model will help farmers be prepared for possible flood or drought conditions.

“The hydrology model will showcase proactive solutions for many stakeholders across the Assiniboine River Basin for flood and drought mitigation,” Henry Nelson, Vice-Chair, MFGA said in a release.