The young farmer rebate program is part of MASC’s Bridging Generations Initiative.

MASC increases young farmer rebate

Series of programs aimed at new entrants to farming begin today

The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) will increase the maximum eligible for the Young Farmer Rebate program to $200,000 from $150,000, effective April 1. Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced the change on March 25 in Brandon. “Increasing the young farmer rebate supports our focus on young producers by reducing the cost of borrowing while they


The former chair of the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation is questioning how money held for crop and hail insurances purposes is being handled.

MASC trusts — protecting farmers’ money or better bookkeeping?

The Manitoba government says both, but a former MASC board chair isn’t so sure

Frieda Krpan was puzzled when the Manitoba government announced it transferred the crop insurance and crop hail insurance reserve funds totalling $265 million to two trust accounts to ensure the money couldn’t be used for anything other than crop insurance. “What brought this on? In all the years that I was there, there has never

Province announces locked-in funds with MASC trusts

The province says the new trusts will keep funds cycling back to the farm

AgriInsurance and hail insurance funds will be handled a little differently in the future, and the provincial government says that will keep those funds going back to farmers. The province announced two new trusts Sept. 21 to feed into the two insurance streams. The trust for AgriInsurance will include provincial, federal and paid-in funds from


A field of wheat felled by hail. Producers at the meeting referred to some of the insured prices as "a joke."

MASC comes under fire at organic insurance update

Producers call organic insurance ‘a joke’ while MASC says it’s already a money-loser

Organic producers are not happy with their crop insurance. Maurice Gaultier, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) insurance sales and service manager for the southern region, faced pointed questions Jan. 18 during his organic insurance update at Ag Days. MASC and the Manitoba Organic Alliance have been looking for a middle road on insurance for months.

By getting a good winter wheat seeding date, you'll be able to harvest it sooner next year.

Time to plant winter wheat

On average winter wheat still has a yield advantage over spring wheats, but there are other factors to consider 

The first two weeks of September is the best time for seeding winter wheat and with many canola crops already harvested there are fields suited for seeding now, says Lionel Kaskiw, Manitoba Agriculture’s farm production advisor in Souris. But interest in winter wheat is declining with some farmers saying they can get almost the same


Neil Hamilton of MASC is retiring this spring.

MASC president and CEO set to retire

Neil Hamilton’s 36-year career in agriculture includes 28 years at crop insurance and the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) president and CEO Neil Hamilton is retiring June 2. Although planned for a while, it still wasn’t an easy decision, Hamilton said in an interview April 24. “There are certain things I am going to miss about it, but it’s just time probably for someone else to take charge and

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation refreshes website

Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation refreshes website

There have also been some staff promotions to fill vacancies created by retirements

The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) has given its website a fresh look and promoted some veteran employees to replace retiring colleagues. The agency, which administers crop insurance and provincially backed farm lending in Manitoba, updated its website in mid-December. “We wanted to make it mobile friendly and easier for farmers to find information,” David


MASC had a record number of hail claims and payouts in 2016.

Record hail claims, payouts for MASC in 2016

The big white combine took a heavy toll in Manitoba this year

This was a hail of a year for a lot of Manitoba farmers — in fact, it was a record. The Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) received 4,700 hail claims in 2016 and has so far paid out more than $43 million on destroyed or damaged insured crops, David Koroscil, Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation’s acting

(Dave Bedard photo)

Manitoba government overhauls MASC board

CORRECTED, Sept. 28: Manitoba’s Tory government has replaced nearly the entire board table at its Crown crop insurance and farm financing agency. Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler on Monday named Darlingford, Man. grain grower and accountant Jim Wilson and former federal agriculture minister Charlie Mayer as the new chair and vice-chair respectively for Manitoba Agricultural Services