The Manitoba government is giving producers in the province a bigger financial break on agricultural Crown land (ACL) leases for the 2024 growing season.
In an announcement Friday, the government said it is increasing the temporary rent reduction scheduled for ACL forage leases to 55% from 33% in recognition of the “hardships producers have faced in recent years.” The reduction will essentially freeze rental rates to the same as 2023 and will provide producers with over $2 million in support, according to a government release.
The first invoices reflecting the new rent reduction have already started to be mailed out to producers.
Agricultural Crown lands are parcels of land leased to producers for agricultural use including grazing, haying or annual cropping. The lands are important public assets economically, environmentally and socially, essential to supporting and growing the livestock industry in Manitoba, said Premier Wab Kinew.
“This announcement is a lifeline for Crown leaseholders,” said Dale Myhre, a veteran rancher with a cattle operation in the Parkland region. “With this reduction in Crown lease rents, beef producers have gone from feeling desperation to feeling hope again.”
