Nov. 19, 2024 (Carman, MB) – Manitoba Crop Alliance (MCA) and Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) have committed $691,591 in funding to Manitoba Diversification Centres to increase research capacity in the province.

MCA recently commissioned a study evaluating research capacity in the province. The resulting report highlighted four main challenges to maintaining and expanding research capacity: equipment, infrastructure and land, funding programs, and human resources.

This investment is enabling the diversification centres to purchase new or specialized equipment, such as tractors and seeders. The equipment will help the centres enhance the efficiency of their current operations and expand the types of research they conduct to provide impactful results to farmers across the province.

“We identified inadequate equipment as one of the primary challenges holding back research capacity in Manitoba and this investment will help bridge that gap,” says Katherine Stanley, research program manager for special crops with MCA.

“The diversification centres conduct crucial, applied research on behalf of our farmer members, and their locations across the province ensure that regional differences in soil and climate can be studied.”

Manitoba Diversification Centres are non-profit, farmer- and industry-directed organizations that are integral to keeping the flow of applied research information to farmers alive. They host a wide range of research activities that MPSG and MCA are invested in, such as AgriScience Program cluster projects, regional variety evaluation trials, and product evaluation and comparison trials.

“Each diversification centre has a capable team that we believe in and rely on each year to carry out mainstay projects and to be agile in accommodating new research,” says Cassandra Tkachuk, research project manager with MPSG. “We are pleased to collaborate with MCA in supporting the expansion of field research capacity at the centres to continue sending value back to farmers.”

The four diversification centres in the province are at Carberry, Roblin, Arborg and Melita, covering a variety of agro-climate conditions and soil types to highlight the response of crops to different growing conditions. By accounting for unique growing conditions at each location, the centres can conduct more robust and meaningful research, while testing novel ideas such as alternative crops and agronomic practices.

The investments from MCA and MPSG will be distributed among the four diversification centres as follows:

• Manitoba Crop Diversification Centre (MCDC)
  • $198,697 from MCA
• Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation (PCDF)
  • $64,237 from MCA
  • $64,237 from MPSG
• Prairies East Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (PESAI)
  • $122,000 from MCA
  • $122,000 from MPSG
• Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization (WADO)
  • $63,860 from MCA
  • $56,560 from MPSG

“On behalf of the WADO board, we are excited to partner with MCA and MPSG on the capital investments grant,” says WADO chair Gary Barker. “Purchases will help WADO with building capacity efficiencies, reduce risk from wildlife losses, and assist with monitoring greenhouse gases in future projects.”

To learn more about the Manitoba Diversification Centres, visit mbdiversificationcentres.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Cole Christensen
Communications Manager
Manitoba Crop Alliance
403-589-3529
cole@mbcropalliance.ca

Kate Menold
Communications Coordinator (Contract)
Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers
204-807-1912
kate.menold@manitobapulse.ca

About Manitoba Crop Alliance:
Manitoba Crop Alliance is a non-profit organization established Aug. 1, 2020, representing more than 7,700 farmer members. Manitoba Crop Alliance puts their farmer members first and strives to continuously improve the competitiveness and profitability of all crops represented by the organization by focusing on four main areas: research, agronomy, market access and development, and communications. It is through investment in these key areas that Manitoba Crop Alliance can ensure wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and flax are sustainable production choices for Manitoba farmers. For more information, visit mbcropalliance.ca.

About Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers:
Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) was founded in 1984 and represents over 3,500 producers in Manitoba who grow soybeans, edible beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans. MPSG’s mission is to provide farmer members with production knowledge and market development support, through focused research, advocacy and linkages with industry partners. MPSG is funded by a 0.5% check off levy and is governed by a board of directors, including elected active producers and appointed industry representatives. For more information, visit manitobapulse.ca.