The Manitoba government has announced the first dates for upcoming agricultural Crown land lease auctions, Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced Oct. 25.
The auctions represent the first time leases have been awarded outside the points system that prevailed for decades. The changes have been very unpopular with many leaseholders, who say the future of their operations has been thrown into disarray. Pedersen defended the government from these charges in a prepared release.
“The former Department of Agriculture conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders on the allocation of agricultural Crown lands,” said Pedersen. “The auction system is a fair and transparent approach that will create opportunities for new or young farmers to have access to these public assets.”
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Upcoming agricultural Crown land lease auctions are being held on:
- Nov. 27 at the Brandon Manitoba Agriculture Office;
- Nov. 28 at the Minnedosa Ukrainian Hall;
- Nov. 29 at the Dauphin Provincial Building;
- Dec. 3 at the Swan River War Veterans Community Hall;
- Dec. 5 at the Ashern Manitoba Agriculture Office; and
- Dec. 6 at the Dugald Community Hall.
The province’s release noted the the Agricultural Crown Lands Program “supports the sustainable expansion of the livestock herd in Manitoba, contributes to ecological goods and services, and provides mitigation and adaptation to climate change.”
Leases and permits are available to farmers and ranchers, to provide an additional land base on which to conduct agricultural activities.
More information on the upcoming auctions, including start times, can be found at the Manitoba government website.
Information is also available from local Manitoba Agriculture Agricultural Crown Land offices.
