Federal government investing in Manitoba agriculture

Jan 13, 2016

Hemp and poultry processing facilities receive funding

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, International Content
Farms.com

Two joint projects between the federal government and Manitoba’s provincial government are designed to help improve the province’s agricultural industry.

One project is an investment of more than $125,000 in new equipment to help a local hemp processor turn hemp straw into absorbent pellets used for kitty litter.

The kitty litter market is estimated to be worth $2.6 billion in North America.

Hemp straw’s ability to absorb nearly five times its weight in water makes it a viable source for litter. Hemp pellets may also be used to clean up oil and other chemical spills.

The prospect of new uses for hemp can make it an even more valuable crop for farmers.

“This type of innovation will not only help farmers find new markets for their crops, it will contribute to environmental sustainability, while strengthening our rural Canadian economy," said Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, there were 4,684 hectares licensed for hemp cultivation in 2007 across the country – Manitoba was responsible for 1,728 acres.

In 2007, Canada exported 876 tonnes worth of hemp, worth more than $3.4 million.

The other project between the Canadian and Manitoba governments is a $2.5 million investment to expand a poultry processing company.

The investment into Granny’s Poultry, one of the province’s largest food processors, is part of the company’s $37 million plant expansion that will be used to purchase new equipment and improve production.

Ron Kostyshyn, Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, said investing in local agribusinesses helps provide work for Manitobans and sets the company up for future success.

The investments into Manitoba agriculture come on the heels of the installation of 17 new automated weather stations in 2015, bringing the total number to 61 with a hope of increasing to 84 by 2018.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.