Ron Kostyshyn is sworn in on Oct. 18, 2023 as Manitoba’s minister for agriculture, with Premier Wab Kinew at left.

Kostyshyn back in the saddle as he lays a course on ag file

Provincial Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn discusses what the sector can expect now that he’s back in the role

Ron Kostyshyn says rural economic development is critical to the health of agriculture in Manitoba. “We don’t need to be chasing producers away. We need to have more of them involved for the economic development of rural Manitoba,” said Manitoba’s reappointed agriculture minister. Why it matters: Returning to his role as ag minister, which he

Since Ottawa has paused the carbon tax for heating oil, a compelling case can be made for examining the impact on our entire food supply.

Opinion: Carbon tax makes Canadian food production less competitive

Recent claims that the carbon tax has little effect are poorly thought out

The federal government has put a hold on the carbon tax applied to heating oil for the next three years and announced a doubling of the rural supplement in the carbon tax rebate program. In mere minutes, Ottawa transformed the carbon tax into a negotiable political lightning rod and lent credence to carbon tax critics.


KAP President Jill Verwey.

KAP aims to forge strong ties with Manitoba’s new government

Challenges and opportunities discussed at Fall Advisory Council Meeting

The Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) had Manitoba’s new government – and how they could build relationships with that government – top of mind when the general farm group met for their fall advisory council meeting Nov. 8. “Our team has already engaged with the NDP for the past year, and we believe that we have

If Canada wishes to preserve domestic farms and enhance food security, officials must have limits on what they can give up to American and other foreign interests.

Comment: In defence of Bill C-282

Canada’s supply management supports farmers while safeguarding consumer

The recent passage of Bill C-282, legislation that prevents Canadian trade negotiators from surrendering additional supply managed commodities like eggs and dairy in international trade negotiations, has reignited debates over Canada’s supply management system. Critics of the bill argue it may hamstring trade negotiators and raise food prices, claiming that Canada’s supply management system is


Much of our past investment in water management infrastructure has been dedicated to either keeping water at bay or getting rid of it as quickly as possible.

Editorial: Division or unity on water?

Wab Kinew wouldn’t be the first Manitoba premier who came into office vowing to represent all Manitobans or to preach the politics of unity. However, he may be looking at a steeper slope. He comes into office as post-pandemic discord has created deep societal polarization and faces a quagmire of intersecting crises, including the escalating

Arkansas orders Chinese-owned Syngenta to sell U.S. farmland

Foreign ownership of farmland has gotten more attention from U.S. lawmakers

Reuters – Arkansas has ordered Syngenta to sell 160 acres of farmland in the U.S. state within two years, citing its Chinese ownership. The move drew a sharp rebuke from the global seeds producer. U.S. farm groups and lawmakers are increasingly scrutinizing foreign land ownership due to concerns about national security. “This is about where your loyalties lie,” Arkansas


A federal grain dryer exemption bill did not pass in 2021, but the concept was revived in Bill C-234.

Editorial: Waiting game on Bill C-234

Mother Nature has thrown the federal government a bone on Bill C-234. Manitoba’s weekly crop reports show harvest 2023 ran ahead of the five-year average pretty much from the get-go. There were still some soybeans, corn and sunflowers to come off as of Oct. 17, as well as regional patches of canola. But, for the

Now is the time to start thinking about what the next five-year partnership will look like when it begins in 2028.

Comment: ‘New deal’ does not mean good deal for Canadian agriculture

Research funding has changed a lot in the last 20 years, and not necessarily for the better

I started my career in Manitoba’s agriculture industry with the provincial government in February 2001. There I was introduced to the five-year funding structure used by Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments to support the Canadian agriculture industry. Early in my career, it was called the Agricultural Policy Framework. This was followed by Growing Forward,


The nuts and bolts of grain drying technology were the focus of the latest testimony as Bill C-234 worked its way through the Senate ag committee.

Senators get technical on Bill C-234

Clean grain drying technology years away, experts tell Senate committee

Options to fuel farmers’ grain dryers are limited and grain drying without fossil fuels is still years away. That’s the message the Senate’s standing committee on agriculture and forestry heard as expert witnesses were called to give their two cents on the state of grain drying technology. Why it matters: Bill C-234, which would exempt

Letters: Manure and E. coli go together

The Manitoba Co-operator’s election campaign story on Sept. 21, 2023, contained the following quote: “The Green Party platform contains numerous water-related plans, including a note to strengthen manure management regulations in the Red River Basin ‘to eliminate manure run-off.’ [Liberal candidate Neil] Stewart said water-related incidents are likely to become larger, and the province needs