Premier Wab Kinew outlined five priorities for Minister Kostyshyn
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Manitoba’s new minister of agriculture was among the first members of Premier Wab Kinew’s cabinet to receive their mandate letters.
In the letter dated Oct. 19, the premier describes agriculture as “the backbone of our provincial economy” and calls Minister Kostyshyn “the steward of this essential sector.”
In 2022, the province’s agriculture and agri-food sector contributed about 8 per cent of Manitoba’s GDP and was responsible for 36,355 direct jobs, data shows.
The mandate letter outlines general and specific goals for Minister Kostyshyn.
A broader goal for the minister is to “support the sector so that Manitoba can be a leader in agricultural innovation, research and job creation. A strong agricultural sector means a strong Manitoba,” the letter says.
Specifically, the premier has tasked the minister of agriculture with five immediate priorities.
They are:
• Reinstate unit transfers to the Crown Land program while also making leases more affordable to give the next generation of producers a fighting chance.
• Work with the Federal government to ensure strong AgriRecovery and AgriStablity supports to help producers make ends meet while they navigate the impacts of climate change.
• Keep MASC offices open to give producers the support they need close to home and explore opportunities to bring MASC offices back to rural communities.
• Work with the Minister of Advanced Education and Training to deliver funding to build a Prairie Innovation centre for Sustainable Agriculture at Assiniboine Community College.
• Support innovation and research in the agricultural sector including opportunities to expand regenerative agriculture.
Other ministers have directives to work with agriculture too.
Jamie Moses, the minister of economic development, investment, trade and natural resources, is asked to create a Premier’s Business and Jobs Council.
This group should “bring together leaders from business, skilled trades, agriculture, Indigenous communities, labour and other sectors,” his mandate letter says.
And Renée Cable, the minister of advanced education and training, is asked to work with the agriculture ministry on building a Prairie Innovation centre for Sustainable Agriculture at Assiniboine Community College.