About Manitoba Crop Alliance
Advocacy
We are proud to be a voice for Manitoba farmers. We do this by sharing the impact of government policies on farmer members’ operations and backing it up with our research and lived experience.
We are members of organizations that have a core focus and expertise on policy and advocacy to ensure our farmer members are represented and Manitoba farmers’ voices are heard at the provincial and national levels.Â
We have engaged in several issues through our collaborative advocacy partnerships, which are detailed below.Â
Your feedback is important. If you have questions or comments, please contact us at hello@mbcropalliance.ca.
Advocacy Partners Our advocacy partners include:
Grain Growers of Canada (GGC)
GGC is the national voice of grain farmers, representing over 65,000 farmers through 14 national, regional and provincial grower groups. GGC members are trade oriented, sustainable and innovative. As the farmer-driven association for the grains industry, GGC advocates for the federal government to make decisions that support the competitiveness and profitability of grain growers across Canada.
Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP)
KAP is a non-profit organization of approximately 4,600 farmer members who produce a variety of agricultural products. KAP, which is also supported by 20 commodity group members, promotes the interest of Manitoba producers through advocacy, collaboration, communications and education.
Cereals Canada
Cereals Canada is a national, not-for-profit industry association representing the Canadian cereal grains value chain. They value relationships and work with government and stakeholders to provide timely, expert technical information and deliver best-in-class customer experience. They are dedicated to supporting the Canadian cereals value chain, including farmers, exporters, developers, processors and customers around the world, with a focus on trade, science and sustainability.
Advocacy Issues
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On behalf of farmer members, we will advocate on the issue of research and innovation funding on the following broad principles:
- MCA recognizes the importance of research and innovation to the success of Manitoba farmers.
- MCA represents farmer members who grow multiple crop types. Advocacy efforts will be tailored to each crop type to reflect their unique research and innovation needs, as well as whole-farm, cross-commodity research.
- MCA will advocate and engage in the funding of research and innovation, including plant breeding, to ensure farmer members are influential and to protect farmer members’ investments.
- MCA will act and make decisions in the best interest of farmer members on issues of research and innovation. However, MCA also recognizes farmers are one part of a successful agriculture industry in Canada and that all industry stakeholders are important contributors.
- MCA will build relationships with funding partners (e.g., farmer, public and private) and commit to funding, managing and monitoring research and innovation projects that will advance the interests and profitability of farmer members.
We also developed key principles targeted at funding of research and innovation on a broad scale, as well as funding of variety/hybrid development.
Funding of research and innovation at large
- MCA will advocate for federal and provincial funding for research and innovation in crop production and plant breeding at increased levels, or at a minimum, current levels of investment. This includes maintaining or increasing current funding ratios for variety development projects in future policy frameworks such as the current AgriScience Program – Clusters and Projects.
- MCA will advocate for federal and provincial funding programs to meet the research and innovation needs identified by farmers and national strategic research priorities and not be limited to governments’ policy positions.
- MCA will advocate for greater government funding program support for smaller-acreage crops where farmer funding is limited, including barley, flax, sunflowers and grain corn.
- MCA will engage Manitoba Agriculture to improve their process for funding programming under the current and future policy frameworks. This will ensure farmers and researchers are not put at a disadvantage compared with other provinces that have more robust and reliable funding programs for research and innovation.
Funding of plant breeding
- MCA supports a robust and resilient system for variety and hybrid breeding and innovation in Canada that includes both public and private breeding institutions. Plant breeding is a strategic advantage for Canada – when we generate increasingly high-quality and highly productive grain crops, we drive economic growth, strengthen farm sustainability and bolster national food security.
- MCA expects Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to commit to supporting long-term public breeding capacity, both through funding and by continuing to engage in plant breeding for crop types where they have existing breeding programs (wheat and barley).
- AAFC must commit to maintaining their investment relative to inflation (based on real GDP index) at a minimum and continue to contribute to foundational research and training of Highly Qualified Personnel.
- MCA emphasizes the continued role of public breeding institutions, such as AAFC and universities involved in plant breeding, as MCA believes healthy, public breeding programs provide farmers with alternatives to privately owned breeding programs.
- MCA will advocate for the continued financial and resource support of public plant breeding for those crop types that currently have a public plant breeding stream, such as wheat, barley and flax. MCA expects government to be partners in supporting public plant breeding initiatives.
- MCA supports AAFC continuing its role in the wheat and barley plant breeding continuums, from upstream research to finishing of varieties.
- MCA will continue to request AAFC outline in writing its short- and long-term plans for its wheat and barley breeding program, both in upstream research and varietal finishing.
For more information on value creation and past funding model reports and consultations, reference advocacy issue No. 5: VALUE CREATION – PLANT BREEDING INVESTMENT MODELS below.
Advocacy Partners: Grain Growers of Canada, Cereals Canada, Keystone Agricultural Producers
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The impact of farmer-funded barley and wheat breeding programs was demonstrated in two studies that quantified the benefits of those investments over the past 25 years. For barley, western Canadian farmers have received nearly $26 in return through varietal improvements for every dollar they invested in barley breeding. For wheat, farmers realized $33 in return for every dollar invested. Read more about the impact of farmer funding on variety development:
- Barley Breeding in Canada – A path forward from 2021
- The Benefits and Costs of Producer and Public Investments: Wheat Varietal R&D in Western Canada 1995 to 2020
We will continue our investments in variety development for all the crop types we represent, in collaboration with our key partners, to benefit our farmer members.
MCA will engage in consultations on any new model(s) or mechanism(s) of value creation with a focus on varieties developed with farmer member funding. Any proposed value-creation model involving royalties (existing or new) will be judged using the following principles:
- MCA desires that any value-creation model or mechanism must allow for a return on investment for farmer members’ dollars invested in plant breeding. It must also allow for accountability, transparency and a voice in how those dollars are reinvested in plant breeding.
- For public plant breeding programs, royalty revenue generated cannot replace or erode federal or provincial funding; it should instead add/increase government financial support.
- Where varieties or hybrids were developed with farmer members’ dollars, royalty revenue must support those breeding programs by directly returning collected royalties to the breeding programs and not into general revenue of the institution. Royalty revenue must directly contribute to the breeding programs to ensure adequate resources are available to breed and finish varieties that meet the merit requirements (i.e., disease, agronomic and quality) of the variety registration system, as required by crop type.
- Where varieties or hybrids were developed with farmer members’ dollars in partnership with public or private institutions, total value of royalties collected, and the distribution of royalties, must be reported to ensure transparency and to determine effectiveness of royalty collection in creating value.
- Where varieties or hybrids were developed using farmer members’ dollars, by MCA or through the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) or Canadian Barley Research Coalition (CBRC), they will enter into commercialization agreements and negotiate a share of the royalties to be controlled by MCA, the CWRC or the CBRC.
- MCA will play a role in selecting the commercialization partner for any varieties or hybrids developed using farmer members’ dollars. MCA will not play a role in the actual marketing of the varieties or hybrids developed under any agreements but will seek out collaborative partnerships.
- For MCA to clearly communicate progress and success of any value-creation model in funding plant breeding, and provide accountability to our membership, it will be critical that metrics are clearly defined and tabulated. These metrics would be used to measure progress and success. Metrics should include total dollars invested and whether those dollars are additive, increased yield of new varieties, number of registered varieties, and number of acres seeded to new varieties.
- Any value-creation model must protect a farmer’s right to save their own seed for crop types such as wheat, barley and flax, as per intellectual property protection laws in Canada for seeds and technology. MCA acknowledges that depending on the value creation model and any intellectual property laws/contracts implemented, there may be restrictions and/or a cost associated with the reseeding of farmer-saved seed.
- Concerning publicly bred varieties that were developed using farmer members’ dollars, MCA will seek clarification on the process for variety cancellation and variety reclassification. MCA requires a review of the process for variety cancellation and reclassification to understand the stakeholders and their roles in the process, and to advocate for farmers’ voice to be heard in variety cancellation or variety reclassification.
Past consultations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted engagement sessions in 2018 and 2019 around value creation to discuss changes to the way new varieties of wheat, barley and other Canadian crops are developed in Canada. Below are presentations that were made at the various consultations:
- “Value Creation Stakeholder Engagement Meeting” presentation made in Winnipeg on Nov. 16, 2018
- “Transforming Canada’s Cereals Sector Through Value Creation” presentation made at CropSphere 2019
- “Transforming Canada’s Cereals Sector Through Value Creation” presentation made at Ag Days 2019
Under the consultation, AAFC and CFIA proposed two models for evaluation: end-point royalties and a royalty collection enabled via contracts.
At the Grains Roundtable meeting in March 2020, a decision was made by AAFC and CFIA to end the formal consultation surrounding value creation.
Previous reports on producer involvement in funding
In 2012, producers commissioned a study with Garven and Associates on producer involvement in variety finishing and funding mechanisms:
In fall 2014, a producer working group facilitated by Western Grains Research Foundation was formed to investigate options for producer involvement in wheat and barley variety development.
The following reports were generated:
- Exploring Options for Producer Involvement in Wheat and Barley Variety Development – FINAL REPORT: JRG Consulting
- Exploring Options for Producer Involvement in Wheat and Barley Variety Development – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: JRG Consulting
- Exploring Options for Producer Involvement in Wheat and Barley Variety Development – ANNEXES: JRG Consulting
Variety use agreement
In fall 2018, Seeds Canada voiced support of a trailing royalty system enabled by “Seed Variety Use Agreements.” In February 2020, Seeds Canada launched the SVUA pilot project to evaluate how the seed variety use agreement (SVUA) could potentially work. More information on the SVUA pilot project and the varieties included in the program can be found at the link below
Advocacy Partners: Grain Growers of Canada
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On behalf of farmer members, we will advocate on the issue of Canada’s variety registration system on the following broad principles:
- MCA represents farmer members who grow multiple crop Our advocacy efforts will reflect the unique needs of each crop type.
- MCA believes that all value chain participants, including farmers, should be engaged and consulted before any changes are made to the variety registration system.
- MCA advocates for a data- and science-driven variety registration system that fosters breeding innovation while maintaining trust and reputation in Canada’s domestic and international markets.
- MCA advocates for annual reviews of the Model Operating Procedures established by each Recommending Committee of which MCA is a member.
Supporting statements
- MCA recognizes the importance of research and innovation to the success of Manitoba farmers. Advances in plant breeding innovation will address production challenges and enhance competitiveness, driving profitability for our farmers.
- MCA represent crop types that are both subject to and exempt from variety registration requirements. This reflects the need for a tailored approach, as each crop type is unique.
- MCA possesses a unique perspective from its experience with crop types that operate both within and outside the variety registration system. We will share insights on the benefits, challenges and impacts of these approaches for farmers.
- MCA recognizes the important the role of variety registration within the plant genetics improvement continuum, particularly during the variety development and pre-market evaluation phases.
- MCA will prioritize staff, director and delegate representation on Recommending Committees relevant to the crop types we represent.
- MCA representatives will attend meetings of the Recommending Committees, including the Prairie Grain Development Committee (PGDC).
- MCA will prepare staff, directors and delegates attending Recommending Committee meetings, so they are informed, engaged and able to contribute effectively. This includes succession planning to support the continuity of MCA representation and a smooth transition of committee responsibilities over time.
- MCA is proud of Canada’s world-renowned crops. Farmers and the entire value chain must continue to serve the needs of our domestic and international customers who rely on our consistently high-quality product.
Advocacy Partners: Canadian Wheat Research Coalition, Canadian Barley Research Coalition, Grain Growers of Canada
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MCA has committed to collaborating with advocacy partners through various working groups to advance mandatory export sales reporting. We engaged in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) consultation on the Canada Grain Act review, supporting the efforts of our provincial and national partners to have export sales reporting incorporated into federal legislation. While this remains an important objective, continued delays in the Canada Grain Act review have slowed progress at the federal level.
In response, SaskCrops has taken a leadership role in advocating for an Export Sales Reporting Program outside of the Canada Grain Act process. This comprehensive reporting system would publish daily data on large export sales and cumulative sales by customer country for major grains, providing producers with market transparency comparable to what is available in competing grain-exporting countries.
MCA supports SaskCrops’ advocacy efforts and continues to work alongside our partners to advance mandatory export sales reporting. Improved access to export sales data will strengthen producers’ ability to market their crops effectively and enhance the competitiveness of Canada’s grain sector. Learn more here.
Advocacy Partners: SaskCrops – a coalition representing Saskatchewan grain, oilseed and pulse farmers, with the support of partnering provincial and national organizations.
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- Advocate for provincial and federal funding for BRM programming at increased levels.
- Advocate for BRM programming that supports Manitoba farmers in a reliable and predictable fashion to help mitigate production risks. There should be continued flexibility at a provincial level to allow programming tailored to Manitoba
In January 2026, MCA welcomed the Manitoba government’s announcement expanding the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC) Wildlife Damage Compensation Program to include crop damage caused by blackbirds. This expansion reflects years of persistent advocacy by MCA on behalf of its farmer members, who have faced significant, uncompensated losses, particularly in corn and sunflower production. MCA consistently raised this issue with MASC, emphasizing the growing economic impact of blackbird damage and the need for fair, comprehensive risk management tools. The inclusion of blackbird damage in the program marks a meaningful improvement for Manitoba farmers, reinforcing the value of strong, member-driven advocacy.
Starting in 2025, MASC expanded the boundaries for grain corn Area 1. This area now captures the remainder of the RM of Roland, the remainder of the north portion of the RM of Thompson (excluding the far west portion in Area 5), and southern township-ranges 6-3, 6-4, 6-5 and 6-6 of the RM of Dufferin. Our request came from discussion within our corn crop committee. MCA worked collaboratively with MASC and Manitoba Agriculture to support their analysis.
- Have strong concerns about cross-compliance of BRM programming to sustainability measures, a concern that is also shared by our key partners. MCA supported a letter sent to provincial agriculture ministers from Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) conveying concerns around implementing cross-compliance between business risk management programming and environmental criteria and objectives.
Advocacy Partners: Grain Growers of Canada, Keystone Agricultural Producers
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Specifically, our governance committee requested that MCA clarify its position on how gene editing should be regulated by, and communicated about, by Health Canada, and whether gene-edited seed and genetically engineered seeds should follow the same regulations.
Following this resolution, our board got to work on becoming informed on the issue. We consulted with national experts, including the Canada Grains Council, CropLife Canada, Cereals Canada, Health Canada and more, and reviewed information available to us. Following this, we developed our own formal position on the topic, which centres around the following core beliefs:
- Seeds produced using any plant breeding technique, including gene editing, should be subject to science-based regulations and policies related to health and safety.
- All value chain participants must abide by the appropriate science-based regulations and policies/best management practices when launching products of plant breeding innovations in Canada to our export and domestic markets.
- All value chain participants, including federal regulatory agencies and seed developers, are fully transparent in implementing regulations around plant breeding technologies, to maintain trust and reputation in domestic and global markets.
Furthermore, within our formal position, our board reiterates that:
- We recognize the importance of research and innovation to the success of Manitoba farmers, including the area of seed development.
- We believe variety development and plant breeding innovations will help unlock yield potential for Canadian crops, remove production barriers and help farmers meet sustainability goals.
- We support that all food in Canada – novel or not – should be regulated by the appropriate government agencies to ensure its ongoing safety for consumers.
This formal position, approved in April 2022, will be used to guide MCA’s participation in the conversation around the topic going forward, as well as our involvement in any related initiatives.
Our detailed advocacy principles around this issue can be viewed at the link below:
Advocacy Partners: Grain Growers of Canada, Cereals Canada