“These are challenging times, and KAP will continue working with the provincial government to advocate for Manitoba farmers,” Hornby said, adding that continued funding for loan programs, veterinary initiatives, improved insurance coverage, and new trade initiatives are all good news for the industry.

Risk management and lending improvements

The province’s budget, announced by Finance Minister Adrien Sala on Mar. 24, includes $143.7 million for business risk management programs, alongside expanded lending limits, new insurance incentives and continued cost controls such as a freeze on Crown land lease rates.

Vet recruitment funding welcomed by farm groups

Manitoba Beef Producers (MBP) and KAP also welcomed new funding to support the Veterinary Medical Services Strategy, including $201,000 for tuition rebates, $100,000 for a veterinary recruitment program aimed at bringing newly licensed veterinarians to rural Manitoba, $50,000 for clinical mentorships to support internationally educated veterinarians, and $221,000 for the VetSTEP program.

“As a partner in the creation of the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Services Strategy, new funding focused on veterinary recruitment in rural areas and for clinical mentorships for internationally educated veterinarians, as well as increases to tuition rebates and summer employment opportunities, will help with addressing the veterinary shortage.”

— KAP president Jill Verwey

Beef producers applaud Crown land freeze and lending expansion

MBP also applauded the Crown land rental rate freeze (extended to 2026 last fall), support for the Livestock Predation Prevention Program, and more lending options through Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), said MBP president Arvid Nottveit.

“The beef industry is a key economic driver in Manitoba, responsible for more than $900 million in farm cash receipts and helping to support many businesses and services,” he said. “We recognize the government’s willingness to support initiatives aimed at advancing Manitoba’s cattle industry.”

MBP plans to keep working with the province to tackle ongoing challenges, such as boosting inspection capacity, improving Crown land management, addressing wildlife problems, upgrading infrastructure, and shaping future policy.

Trade diversification moves to forefront

The budget also points to a stronger emphasis on trade, including plans for a new economic development agency and a forthcoming diversification strategy.

KAP’s current Agricultural Trade Action Plan lobbies the province to be proactive when it comes to market access to make sure the needs and priorities of producers are protected, Hornby said.

“We look forward to working with the government on its Manitoba’s Trade and Diversification Plan and urge them to have agriculture at the forefront of this plan,” he said.

Manitoba Pork general manager Cam Dahl echoed KAP and MBP’s positive notes on the budget.

“Manitoba Pork is appreciative of the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to supporting the agriculture sector, both through this budget and through their continued engagement on files like trade that are deeply vital to our sector.”

— Manitoba Pork GM Cam Dahl
Photo: Manitoba Pork Council

Tax, drainage and red tape concerns linger

It’s not all sunny news though. Despite the new spending in the budget, KAP says several longstanding priorities were not addressed, including tax, drainage and regulatory burden.

The group will continue to lobby for a tax credit program for young farmers, axing the educational property tax on farm properties and other initiatives that would cut down on red tape for producers, Hornby said.

“Additionally, maintenance of the drainage network continues to be a top concern identified by Manitoba farmers, and this will require enhanced investments to ensure a modern, maintained drainage network that works for Manitoba farms.”

Funding in the budget is intended to help producers manage volatility, including ongoing trade uncertainty and geopolitical pressures affecting input costs, Sala said.

“We’re doing the important work of making sure (producers) have adequate access to those programs we know will help our producers across the province.”

The post Manitoba farm leaders praise 2026 budget gains, but gaps remain appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Loan limits rise for young farmers and stocker operations

The government is allocating a total of $143.7 million to AgriInsurance, AgriStability, AgriInvest, and Wildlife Damage Compensation. That includes $71.8 million to cover crop losses from natural hazards, $45.6 million to help stabilize farm income, $18.5 million for smaller fluctuations in revenue, and $7.8 million for losses caused by wildlife.

“We’re doing the important work of making sure [producers] have adequate access to those programs [that] we know will help our producers across the province,” Sala said.

A new Forage Advantage pilot program offers a 15 per cent discount on forage establishment insurance for eligible perennial acres. Insurance coverage has also been extended to include meadow fescue seed, and claims for wildlife damage now cover both crops and livestock.

Loan limits have been raised as well: Young Farmer Rebate loans can now reach $425,000, with a lifetime maximum of $42,500; direct loans increase to $6.25 million; and stocker loans rise to $1.6 million.

Crown land lease rates frozen at $3.66 per AUM

Crown land lease rates remain at $3.66 per animal unit per month.

The former Conservative government made changes to the Crown land program that caused “significant risk” for producers, especially in the Interlake and Western Manitoba, Sala said.

“This is an important measure that’s going to help to keep their costs low and help to ensure that family farms can continue to succeed and thrive here in Manitoba.”

Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn is currently working with the department and producers to see what other changes are needed to the Crown lands program, said Caedmon Malowany, a spokesperson for Kostyshyn.

“Ultimately, we will be presenting a new system that is fairer and more sustainable, but that work is ongoing,” he wrote in an email to the Co-operator directly after Sala’s budget announcement.

Assiniboine College ag programs to more than double capacity

The Prairie Innovation Centre at Assiniboine College will expand its programs from 300 to 800 students annually, while ongoing funding continues for initiatives supporting Indigenous participation in agriculture and the development of local food systems.

Trade risks and input costs add pressure

The budget also highlights trade risks, noting ongoing uncertainty around U.S. tariffs and the upcoming Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CUSMA) trade agreement review.

“We know that trade disruptions are creating increased risk and uncertainty, and I think it’s clear that our government is stepping up with more support to help producers who feed Manitoba and the world,” Sala said.

When it comes to helping producers offset input costs tied to rising tensions in the Middle East, Sala pointed to the 50 per cent school tax rebate for farm properties.

The post Manitoba’s 2026 budget boosts loan limits, insurance and farm support programs appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Wildlife concerns

Incoming president Arvid Nottveit said wildlife pressures have become a dominant issue for producers across the province.

“The elk population just really exploded, and we have to work with producers to mitigate the effects of that,” he said.

A provincial report from back in 2011 put Manitoba’s elk population as stable around 6,500 animals.

The 2023 big game survey, meanwhile, estimated elk numbers around Manitoba’s Porcupine Mountains, Duck Mountains and Turtle Moutains. The survey reported a minimum 107 in the Porcupine Moutain surveyed region, 625 in the southwestern region around the Turtle Mountains and 1,158 in the Duck Mountains.

That survey covered only patches of the province, however, and did not include major elk region Riding Mountain National Park. The Government of Canada estimates about 1,800 elk in the national park.

WHY IT MATTERS: Manitoba beef producers are pushing for real fixes on elk, predation and Crown lands while bracing for trade uncertainty and tighter margins behind today’s strong cattle prices.

Predation from wolves and bears is another hot button issue. Wild boars are also becoming more of a problem as their populations continue to grow in Manitoba, Nottveit added.

Last April, the federal and provincial governments launched the Livestock Predation Prevention Program, a permanent successor to the industry-led pilot project that ended in 2023.

Resolutions approved by delegates at MBP’s annual general meeting, held in Brandon on Feb. 11 and 12, include continued lobbying for provincial analysis of elk and deer populations, financial assistance for fencing and compensation for wildlife damage to crops.

Producers are also increasingly concerned about feed losses and herd health impacts tied to wildlife.

Wildlife and disease concerns intersect with broader traceability discussions that have surfaced in recent months. It is important that producers facing disease outbreaks are supported appropriately, Nottveit said.

“I really want to make sure that ranchers that have disease outbreaks on their herds are treated fairly and … it’s as stress-free a situation as can possibly be.”

Past president Matthew Atkinson said wildlife damage, particularly from elk, has also been a major file during his six years on the board.

“Wildlife issues have really dominated, both in terms of the predation on livestock as well as impact on crops, from largely elk, but from wildlife in general,” he said.

Crown lands unsettled

Alongside wildlife advocacy, MBP continues to push for long-term stability on Crown lands.

“We need a long-term, stable plan going forward,” Atkinson said. “We need that to be settled and consistent.”

He acknowledged the file has created divisions within the membership.

“It’s either a major priority or it’s no priority at all,” he said.

Last October, the province extended its rental rate freeze on Crown land forage leases into the 2026 growing season.

Trade uncertainty

Trade uncertainty and the upcoming CUSMA review with the United States and Mexico remain on the radar, though provincial influence is limited.

“It’s a hard thing to negotiate our way through,” Atkinson said. “It’s not a typical negotiation.”

Nottveit highlighted the critical need to sustain robust cross-border cattle movement, given the close integration between the Canadian and U.S. beef industries.

Strong prices, tight margins

Despite high cattle prices, both leaders cautioned that rising input costs continue to squeeze margins.

Atkinson called the current market strength “overdue,” but said producers must use the opportunity wisely.

“It’s time that we start looking at … the tools available to us to make them as profitable as we can and to ensure that we can be profitable when things aren’t at their highs and move ahead from there,” he said.

For Nottveit, the focus in the coming years will be on practical supports that help grow Manitoba’s cow herd, which sits at historic lows.

“There’s a lot of work that can be done still, to make it viable for young people, especially to make a living raising cattle in this beautiful province,” he said.

Note: A previous version of this story mistakenly reported Manitoba’s estimated elk population at 605. The Co-operator regrets the error.

The post Manitoba Beef Producers take aim at elk surge, feed losses from wildlife appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

In an Oct. 8 release, Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said that “continuing this rent freeze provides financial stability for producers and reflects our commitment to affordability.”

The province further noted that Manitoba currently has the lowest Agricultural Crown Land (ACL) rental rate in Western Canada at $3.66 per animal unit month.

WHY IT MATTERS: Rental rates have been one key issue for farmers during the back-and-forth years-long battle over Crown land system changes.

The announcement comes as a relief for Crown land users, giving them more confidence after a challenging year, said Brent Benson, a Manitoba cattle producer and spokesperson for the Manitoba Crown Land Leaseholders Association.

“From extreme weather to the uncertainty of trade markets and feed supplies, some producers struggled to keep their family ranches operational without having to make decisions that would affect their sustainability or viability,” he said.

A long tale of Crown lands

The announcement matches a similar extension granted last November. At the time, the province’s freeze was set to expire at the end of 2024. That rate (reduced 55 per cent from the established rental formula) had been set after the government changeover in fall 2023.

That in turn followed a graduated rent reduction (initially halving rents in 2023, with a schedule to ramp them up over two years, later interrupted by the 2023 provincial election) put in play by the previous government. There has also been a temporary reduction in 2020 for certain feed challenged areas.

In 2019, sweeping changes to the Crown lands system had included a new rental rate based on market price. Rents multiplied several times over as a result, contributing to producer outrage over the changes. Other issues included the loss of unit transfers, shorter lease terms and valuation of land improvements.

In January 2024, current Crown land regulations finalized, taking effect under the governing New Democrats but including changes introduced by the previous Progressive Conservative government. Those rolled back some effects of the regulatory changes put in place in 2019, including a new mechanism for leaseholders to nominate a new leaseholder for the remainder of a term — a mechanism most interpreted as a replacement for the unit transfer — and an option to extend their 15-year leases by five years if they submitted a forage management plan.

Crown land auctions have been cancelled for the last two years as the province says they gauge the impact the controversial changes have had over the last six years on grazing and haying leases. However, cropping lease allocations ran for four days in February.

Cattle producers in the province are hoping to reach a system of “fair and predictable” rental rates and policies that give a hand-up to young producers entering the industry, Benson noted.

Around 1,750 leaseholders take part in the Agricultural Crown Lands program in Manitoba for grazing, haying and cropping, according to the province.

Engagement process launched

The province has also launched initial public engagement on the future of the ACL program through an online survey on EngageMB. Producers can share their thoughts on lease allocation methods, limits on the total amount of time a single leaseholder is allowed to hold and renewal options for more modern leases.

These consultations are necessary to ensure the ACL program gives producers what they need, said Matthew Atkinson, president of Manitoba Beef Producers.

“We strongly encourage beef producers to make their views known during this important engagement process as it will help shape the future of the program,” Atkinson said.

Resulting feedback will inform proposed regulatory changes, along with future consultation with stakeholders, Kostyshyn said. The updates are slated to take place in 2027. The survey is open until Nov. 24.

The post Manitoba extends Crown land rent freeze appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Grant Palmer, a policy specialist with Manitoba Agriculture who spoke at a provincially hosted Stock Talk webinar Jan. 16, linked the move to regulatory changes over the last several years.

“We’re taking more time to review the effectiveness of the changes and to determine future program priorities,” he told webinar attendees.

There will, however, be cropping lease allocations from Feb. 24-28.

Why it matters: Crown land regulations have been a back-and-forth battle for ranchers, particularly in the Interlake and Parkland, since omnibus changes in 2019.

January of last year saw the current form of Crown land regulations finalized. Those rules took effect under the NDP, but echoed changes introduced by the previous government prior to the 2023 election which had rolled back some effects of the 2019 sweep of regulatory changes.

Those had outraged producers and sparked several years of farmer advocacy and smaller regulatory shifts. Issues have included a higher rental rates, loss of unit transfers, shorter lease terms and valuation of land improvements. The latest changes addressed some of those issues — including the ability to nominate the next leaseholder for the remaining lease term.

Changes in 2024 also allowed producers to extend their 15-year leases by five years with the submission of a forage management plan.

Producers have seen a series of rental freeze promises across two government administrations. In November 2024, the province announced that the current rental freeze would extend through 2025.

Rent rates will hold steady at $3.66 per animal unit month, or approximately $22.50 per cow-calf pair, Palmer said. Payments, typically due Jan. 1, are extended to Feb. 15 this year due to the Canada Post strike.

“This still seems like a very reasonable price on a per-head basis,” Palmer said. “The reason for the rent freeze is to continue to support producers and maintain affordability of Agricultural Crown Land.”

Last year, the province also announced a pause on Crown Land auctions.

“We feel that we need to maybe do some consultation and basically do a review of the Crown land program,” Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn said at that time.

The province estimates that Crown lands support about 75,000-85,000 cows annually, roughly 20 per cent of Manitoba’s 400,000-beef cow population

The program also supports broader provincial goals such as climate change adaptation, ecological services and Manitoba’s Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) obligations, Palmer said.

“Because Ag Crown Land is Crown land, there are a number of steps that have to be taken to address those provincial obligations,” he said.

Applications for land nominations are subject to TLE reviews. Indigenous communities eligible under treaty agreements may select certain parcels for their use instead of the land being added into the pool of publically leasable parcels

The post No auctions this year for forage Crown land appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Manitoba Beef Producers president Matthew Atkinson welcomed the news, but wasn’t surprised by it.

“It’s something that we’ve communicated back and forth with the province,” he said. “We wanted to see rents remain the same while we work on a longer term solution to the rental formula.”

Why it matters: Manitoba’s agricultural Crown lands system has been an explosive issue since an overhaul by the previous provincial government drew widespread condemnation from forage leaseholders.

The rent calculation was one of several bones of contention to arise after omnibus changes to the Crown lands system in 2019. The previous provincial government had been working to modernize the program for several years. Changes included rollback of the points-based allocation system on forage leases, which producers had argued was convoluted and opaque. It was replaced by an auction system.

Once implemented, the new regulations caused immediate outrage. Ranchers protested the shorter terms, different rent formula, loss of unit transfers and what they saw as lacklustre consideration for land improvements and business continuity. The auction system also drew concerns that newer, smaller farms would be priced out of Crown land leases.

The issue sparked years of battle between ranchers and the province, with leaseholders at one point considering a legal challenge.

The new rent formula, based on animal market prices, saw rents multiply several times over. The strain was exacerbated by droughts in 2019 and 2021, which hit hardest in some of the same areas most reliant on Crown lands. Then floods and blizzards in spring 2022 reduced the calf crop.

Some areas were made eligible for reduced rent in 2020 due to feed challenges in the previous year.

In fall 2022, then-Manitoba agriculture minister Derek Johnson announced a three-year graduated reduction for all forage leases, citing weather challenges. Rents were halved for 2023, and were to ramp up over the following two years.

During the election, Progressive Conservatives promised to make 2023’s 50 per cent reduction permanent, an offer that became moot with the NDP win. In November 2023, the NDP announced it would increase the reduction to 55 per cent and extend it until 2024. That has now been stretched to 2025.

“Freezing the 2025 forage lease and permit rates to match the 2024 rate will provide support to Manitoba producers,” said Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn in the media release announcing the freeze. “We are also extending the timeline for producers to submit an appraisal report and apply for improvement costs to leased land for leases expiring this year.”

In an emailed statement from Keystone Agricultural Producers, general manager Brenna Mahoney commended the province on its decision to maintain current rents for agricultural Crown lands.

“We are supportive of any measures that provide relief and cost certainty to producers as they plan for the upcoming year,” she said. “We look forward to continue working with Minister Kostyshyn and his team on further improvements to the ACL program in the coming months.”

Atkinson cautioned that efforts must be made to create a permanent solution.

“We need to work on finding a long-term tweak to those rental rate formulas so we don’t have to be reliant on more 11th-hour measures,” he said. “When (rent’s) due at the end of December, it’s quite hard to budget for, when you’re not sure what the price is going to be each year.”

Atkinson is optimistic about the government’s tone toward the matter. He said it seems to be listening to producers and recognizing the need for movement.

“We’re aware on all sides that something needs changing within the formula, but it takes time to get it done, so this is a great measure in the interim.”

The dust is also settling after years of upheaval since the controversial changes in 2019, he said.

“I really do think that we’re getting somewhere, and we’ve made some big strides forward; now it’s just the little tweaks,” he said. “Not everybody’s going to be happy. It’s hard to balance everybody’s needs and interests, but we’re definitely a much better place now.”

The post Crown land rent freeze extended appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

Leases now transfer to the highest bidder, and the bidding is open to out-of-province parties, not required to live in Manitoba. The changes also removed unit transfers and lifetime leases, as well as instituting a 15-year maximum lease duration.

This created instability that negatively impacts the older generation of ranchers, who had planned to include their leases with their farms when they retired and sold or passed on their farms.

For younger ranchers wanting to obtain a lease, the changes have resulted in a three-fold increase in lease rates. This has created huge difficulty for young ranchers, despite the minister’s suggestion at the time that the changes would help young ranchers and help to increase the number of cows raised in Manitoba.

What is the motivation behind these changes? If the goal was to increase cattle production and support younger lease holders, how does this help? Will it not contribute to an even greater exodus of leasing producers?

Will it not reduce the incentive for producers to make long-term investments? Will retiring ranchers be fairly compensated for the improvements they made on leased land? Will younger ranchers be able to win leases in the face of difficult cattle market prices?

Allowing outside-of-Manitoba investors to bid is unfair to local ranching families, unless they wish to reside in Manitoba.

Our leasing communities struggle to survive. Money becomes the only focus in decision making on who cares for public land.

The environment suffers too. Agricultural Crown land contains sensitive ecosystems that are difficult to manage and can easily be damaged without a long-term view toward stewardship. Increased lease fees, following years of poor cattle prices, creates hardship that pressures land managers to squeeze the land for financial return.

As part of a series of election promises, the provincial Conservatives have promised to cut rental fees for Crown land. This is a response to a problem they created; more changes may yet happen. Out-of-province investors who are contributing to driving up lease rates presumably get the lease fee break as well.

The Progressive Conservatives are changing the maximum lease duration to 20 years, which is a step in the right direction in the case of local lease holders, but not in the case of outside investors.

While MBP supported the highest-bidder system, there are other Manitoba farm voices. The National Farmers Union in Manitoba is a farm voice that has opposed the changes to the Crown land lease system since October 2018.

The Manitoba Association of Crown Land Leaseholders in 2019 became aware of the changes and were really upset.

In Ontario, farmers have a choice of three farm organizations to represent them. In the case of the recent lease changes in Manitoba, perhaps a range of Manitoba farm voices would have led to a better outcome.

The NFU in Manitoba now calls upon the Manitoba government to hold a vote among Manitoba Crown land leaseholders from 2017 until now to determine if they want to keep the costly bidding and have outside-of-Manitoba investors involved through an auction system, versus an improved community-based points system.

Ian Robson is a co-ordinator for the National Farmers Union in Manitoba.

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As of Tuesday evening 89 wildfires are active in Alberta, with 25 out of control, according to the provincial government, forcing about 20,000 people out of their homes.

A cold front bringing gusty northwest wind, but little rain, was likely on Tuesday, according to Environment Canada’s weather department.

The change in wind direction can pose a problem for firefighters as the path of the fires changes suddenly, said Christie Tucker, spokesperson for the Alberta Wildfire agency.

Evacuation orders and alerts have also been sounded in neighbouring British Columbia, where as of Tuesday evening 61 wildfires are active, and Saskatchewan, where 28 wildfires are active with five ranked as “not contained.”

“The arrival of sustained winds from the north has resulted in aggressive fire behaviour on all wildfires within the north Peace Region,” the B.C. Wildfire Service said late Monday.

Saskatchewan on Tuesday reported it has had more than double the amount of wildfires usually seen at this time of year. Evacuation orders were recently issued at communities including Buffalo Narrows and Dillon, about 250 km north of Meadow Lake.

With fire risk rated high to extreme across much of the province, Saskatchewan on Tuesday also imposed a fire ban for Crown lands and provincial parks north of the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) and for the Northern Saskatchewan Administration District.

The Canadian military and firefighters from across Canada and the U.S. are helping fight the blazes in Alberta.

“We will build better,” Judy Levesque, who lost her house at Drayton Valley, said while fighting back tears. “We planned to renovate so now we get to do it quicker.”

“That’s the attitude we have to have because it’s too sad the other way.”

Drayton Valley, a town of almost 7,000 people about 100 km southwest of Edmonton, was under evacuation order up until Tuesday afternoon. Twenty-three full or partial evacuation orders remain in effect for various towns, municipalities, First Nation communities and Metis settlements in northern and western Alberta.

At one point Alberta’s fires forced oil and gas producers to shut in at least 319,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, or 3.7 per cent of national production.

On Tuesday morning, Calgary-based Crescent Point Energy said it was shutting in its Kaybob Duvernay production, impacting 45,000 boepd, as a precautionary measure due to changing wildfire conditions. Benchmark Canadian heavy crude prices have risen to their highest levels in months on concerns about the wildfires.

Farther west in B.C., the hot weather is causing rapid snow melt that has increased river flow and prompted authorities to issue a flood warning for part of the Skeena region.

— Reporting for Reuters by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa, Anna Mehler Paperny in Toronto and Rod Nickel in Winnipeg. Includes files from Glacier FarmMedia Network staff.

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The provincial government announced Wednesday it has frozen the rates charged to producers who lease Crown grazing land in 2023 at their 2022 level. The freeze will apply to all grazing leases across the province, affecting about six million acres of Crown land in total.

Furthermore, producers who have to reduce their stocking rates on Crown land due to “ongoing dry conditions” will be eligible for a rent cut of up to 50 per cent.

Crown grazing rates in Saskatchewan are set each year using a formula based on fall cattle prices and the long-term stocking rate of each parcel. The rent cuts would apply where a lessee or pasture association must reduce the number of animals grazing on a Crown lease by 20 per cent or more, compared to the parcel’s approved long-term carrying capacity.

The 2023 rate cut would match the reduction in carrying capacity, ranging from a 20 per cent rate reduction up to the maximum 50 per cent.

“Saskatchewan’s livestock sector is facing increasing costs of production in addition to successive years of low precipitation in many areas of the province,” provincial Agriculture Minister David Marit said in a release.

The rate freeze and cuts, he said, “will assist producers through the current challenges while supporting the continued stewardship and productivity of the land.”

Shellbrook cattle producer Arnold Balicki, chair of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association, on Wednesday hailed the province’s announcement as “something many of our ranchers have been calling for.”

Neighbouring Manitoba last fall announced rent reductions for perennial forage growers leasing Crown land in 2023 and the following two years, citing “extreme weather conditions” ranging from excess moisture in 2022 to severe drought the previous two years. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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Provincial Ag Minister Derek Johnson on Wednesday announced the forage lease rent on agricultural Crown land will be reduced by 50 per cent in 2023, 33 per cent in 2024 and 15 per cent in 2025.

These rent reductions will be automatically applied starting with next year’s bills, the province said, so forage leaseholders won’t need to apply for the cut.

“Stakeholders have told us that rental rates on forage lands are challenging with the hardships they are experiencing following the past two years of extreme weather conditions,” Johnson said in a release.

“We are responding to their concerns by implementing this rent reduction program over the next three years, which will provide ranchers with up to $4 million in relief.”

Said “extreme weather conditions” have ranged from severe drought the past two years to excess moisture this year, which have “significantly affected the productivity and forage capacity of agricultural Crown lands,” the province said.”

The rent cut will be in place as the productivity of the land recovers and as “further improvements” to the province’s agricultural Crown lands program are put in place, Johnson said.

The provincial ag department said it’s “exploring other policy, program, regulation and service improvements to enhance the productivity and sustainability of agricultural Crown forage lands including mechanisms for leaseholders to invest in productivity and adjustments to the terms and conditions of leases.”

Other changes made in the past several years as a result of the province’s ongoing review of the Crown land program included the move to an online auction system; a “market-based” formula for calculating rental rates; and the eliminations of lifetime leases and unit transfers.

The program review now includes an online public survey that will be available until late October. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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