The province of Manitoba has announced that it will be establishing a new task force to address climate-related challenges.
Manitoba Agriculture, Food, and Rural Development Minister Ron Kostyshyn made the announcement Wednesday morning at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon.
"Manitoba's farmers have told us existing agricultural programs can't adequately address these climate-related challenges, especially as they become more common," said Minister Kostyshyn. "We are following through on our commitment to review existing programs and consider options that will be more predictable, comprehensive and sustainable for farmers and governments. I look forward to hearing from Manitobans as part of the task force's work on this important issue."
The goal of the 6-member task force, chaired by Arborg-area farmer Bill Uruski, will be to evaluate existing programs and policies and to identify more comprehensive and sustainable programs.
"Living in the Interlake, we have also experienced many of the same challenges that farmers living in other parts of the province have faced in recent years," said Uruski. "It's certainly timely to undertake a review of all available business risk management tools, while seeking input and advice from farmers, insurance policyholders and other stakeholders."
The task force will address the following:
* holding a series of public consultations to receive input from Manitoba farmers, organizations and other stakeholders;
* evaluating the effectiveness of current risk management tools, including production insurance, to help manage and recover from climate-related challenges;
* identifying gaps in existing policies and programs;
* recommending new options to improve farmers' ability to manage climate-related risks; and
* identifying ways to shift government support from ad hoc assistance to planned and predictable programs.
Public consultations are expected to begin this spring, with a final report expected to be submitted by the end of the year.