The Manitoba government is bringing forward regulatory changes that would extend the freeze on Agricultural Crown Lands (ACL) forage-leases rental rates at $3.66 per animal unit months into the 2027 growing season, keeping leases affordable for livestock producers, Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
“Trump’s trade war is putting pressure on Manitoba farmers, and keeping Agricultural Crown Land leases affordable helps put more money back into producers’ pockets,” said Kostyshyn. “We’re freezing forage-lease rental rates for another year and adding more supports to help Manitoba producers with lease renewals and the allocation of Crown lands.”
In addition, the proposed regulatory amendments would provide a pathway to consecutive lease renewals for certain leases issued since 2019. Under the previous system, leases returned to auction after 15 years, meaning a producer who had worked and invested in the land for years could lose access to it mid-career to a higher bidder.
“By re-establishing a path to lease renewal for forage leases, this government is showing it listened to our number one concern,” said Brent Benson, president, Manitoba Crown Land Leaseholders Association. “Ranchers need more certainty in their operation to make it viable for young producers to enter the industry. This announcement provides some much-needed optimism for the next generation to get into ranching.”
The proposed regulatory changes would also re-establish a points-based system for allocating ACL leases and introduced a cap on the amount of ACL that any one producer or their related entities could lease, with limited exceptions.
Over the coming months, all Manitobans have an opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed changes through Manitoba government consultations.
Today’s announcement follows engagement with the public, producers, communities and Indigenous governments. Further engagements on the proposed regulations are planned before they come into effect.
To learn more about the proposed regulatory changes, visit http://reg.gov.mb.ca/home.
(Manitoba Agriculture news release)
