WINNIPEG, MB - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - From current drought and dry field conditions to flooding in recent years, extreme weather events continue to create challenges for Manitoba farmers. The Government of Canada is working with the agricultural sector to equip farmers with tools they need to proactively manage and mitigate risks associated with these events.
Today, on behalf of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change (Canada Water Agency) and to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Western Economic Diversification Canada) and Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, Terry Duguid, announced an investment of over $1.1 million for the Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association (MFGA). The funding will be used to develop a new forecasting tool that will help farmers and stakeholders better understand and manage extreme weather events within the Assiniboine River Basin.
With this funding, the MFGA will create a web-based tool that will provide seven-day, forward-looking forecasts for soil moisture, groundwater and surface water flow. Producers can use this real-time information to adopt better risk management strategies and inform decisions about their operations in the face of extreme weather.
The new interactive tool will also show how soil and landscape management strategies could influence moisture and water conditions over the seven-day interval, with the goal of encouraging adoption of beneficial management practices.
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