Manitoba school tax rebate remains at 50 per cent

Apr 05, 2024

Manitoba’s 2024 budget was released highlighting the government’s priorities for the upcoming year. Several items were of particular interest to the agriculture sector.

Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) General Manager Brenna Mahoney said with changes made to the School Tax Rebate for residential properties, KAP was pleased to see the 50 per cent rebate maintained for farm properties. However, she said there is more to be done on that file.

“We encourage the province to continue working toward the complete removal of the tax on farm properties and that this is taken into account when developing the new provincial education funding model,” Mahoney said.

Addressing labour challenges is an area where KAP has focused heavily. Mahoney said the budget provided some wins, including the restoration of the rural doctor recruitment fund, $1.5 million to increase apprenticeship training seats, and an investment to support the implementation of a provincial veterinary strategy.

“KAP is excited to see $135,000 announced in this budget that will go toward the implementation of the veterinary strategy, which we developed in partnership with the team at Manitoba Agriculture,” she said.

Supports for Manitoba producers included in the budget was $146.9 million for BRM program funding, the reopening of two Manitoba Agricultural Services, the creation of a Livestock Predation Prevention Strategy, extension of the gas tax by three months, freezing Ag Crown Land lease rates, and supports for young farmers.

“These components of Budget 2024 are welcomed by Manitoba producers across the province,” KAP President Jill Verwey said. “In particular, the lending fee credit through MASC for farmers under 40, increases to the Young Farmer Rebate loan amount to $300,000 and maximum rebate to $30,000 will provide significant benefits to the next generation of farmers.”

Verwey said KAP would like to see further investment in highways and infrastructure prioritized through increased capital funding, as well as legislative amendments that would enable Right to Repair for farmers.

Rural healthcare and crime were two areas identified by Manitoba producers throughout the past year as priorities, and investments in this budget reflect this as a priority, according to Verwey.

“KAP welcomes the $13.7 million increase to policing grants which support rural police services who keep communities safe, as well as the creation of a $300 security camera rebate to provide producers with some support to install security systems on-farm,” Verwey said. “We also applaud the commitment to hire 1,000 new healthcare workers and 13.5 per cent general increase in Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care.”

Other agricultural items included $30 million for the repair and upgrade to the railroad and Port of Churchill, investments in CentrePort Canada, the creation of a provincial trade strategy and creation of a value-added strategy for Manitoba farm products.

Click here to see more...

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.