The governments of Canada and Manitoba are investing up to $1 million through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to support learning activities, knowledge transfer and resource development for local agricultural organizations, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced today.
“The Industry Development Initiatives program will create opportunities for producers to learn from each other through a variety of innovative learning tools,” said Bibeau. “Engaging agriculture employees in training can also lead to higher retention, which strengthens resiliency of the sector.”
The Sustainable CAP Industry Development Initiatives program was designed to meet the needs of organizations that support the agriculture and food sectors, including industry organizations, associations, commissions, non-profits, boards and Indigenous governments, communities or organizations.
“Stakeholders have told us they want more funding for formalized mentorship and peer-to-peer training,” said Johnson. “This assistance from both levels of government will support such learning and development opportunities, as well as conferences and other educational events.”
The funding will support agriculture organizations to develop innovative resources and offer training opportunities that improve the capacity and competitiveness of the sector. Improvements to the program are based on feedback from engagement efforts over the last several years.
“The annual Direct Farm Marketing Conference brings together fruit and vegetable growers, livestock producers and other direct marketers from across the province to network and learn,” said Kristie Beynon, executive director, Direct Farm Manitoba. “The funding Direct Farm Manitoba has received through previous agricultural partnerships has been vital to the success of the conference, the only event of its kind in Manitoba. We look forward to working with Manitoba Agriculture again on this annual event, and appreciate the options introduced in the Sustainable CAP to better serve smaller organizations.”
Eligible organizations can receive up to $25,000 per organization over the duration of the program. Smaller organizations have found that cost-sharing projects can be difficult and options for organizations now address this challenge, Johnson added.
The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sectors. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities, and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
For more information on Manitoba programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, visit www.manitoba.ca/scap.
To access the Industry Development Initiatives application and guide, visit https://manitoba.ca/scap/resiliency/industry-development-initiatives.html.
News source: Manitoba government