GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA AND MANITOBA INVEST IN PROJECT TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR SKILLED WORKERS IN MANITOBA'S AGRICULTURE SECTOR

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are collaborating with the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative to address the availability of skilled workers in Manitoba’s agriculture sector, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced today.

 

“Intelligent technologies and agri-food data can open new opportunities for our industry and grow Canada’s position as a global leader in agriculture,” said Bibeau. “We must continue to find ways to use technology to sustainably feed a growing population. These investments are helping EMILI lead the charge on the future of innovation in agriculture, driving major advances in productivity and sustainability.”

 

“Adopting new and innovative strategies is the key to ensuring industry meets growth targets,” said Pedersen. “Partnerships between government, industry and academia will ensure curriculums provide training relevant to future workforce needs to allow Manitoba’s agriculture industry to continue to thrive.”

 

Governments are investing $630,000 from the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to support EMILI, the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative. The funding will assist EMILI in establishing a Manitoba industry, academia partnership to align education and training with industry demanded skills including digital asset mapping, and creating work integrated learning opportunities for students at all levels.

 

“EMILI is grateful for the support of the governments of Canada and Manitoba through this investment in the digital agriculture industry. Digital agriculture in Manitoba is growing and will continue to be a driving force of our economy,” said Ray Bouchard, board chair, EMILI Manitoba. “EMILI’s leadership of the Manitoba Digital Agriculture Table and the technology tools being developed will empower our people and our businesses with the resources needed to seize this important digital agriculture opportunity.”

 

EMILI was created to prepare and empower the Manitoba economy to leverage digital disruption for success with a specific focus on digital agriculture. EMILI works with industry and academia to accelerate the adoption of intelligent technologies and to provide people with the skills and training required in a digital economy.

 

The five-year, $3-billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership includes $2 billion for cost-shared strategic initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories and $1 billion for federal programs and services. For more information, visit www.canada.ca/Agri-Partnership.

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.