The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing targeted enhancements to AgriStability to support producers impacted by significant early summer rains and resulting flooding in June and July, helping affected farmers access timely support to manage recovery and maintain their operations, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced.
“Farmers across Manitoba work hard every day to manage risks and keep their operations strong in the face of unpredictable challenges,” said MacDonald. “These changes to AgriStability will provide producers with timely and meaningful support when they need it most, helping them manage financial pressures and make decisions with greater confidence.”
The targeted enhancements include waiving 2025 late-filing penalties for impacted producers in municipalities and First Nation communities that declared a state of emergency due to flooding. Producers outside these areas who missed the June 30 filing deadline due to flooding may appeal for a waiver of late-filing penalties.
“Flooding has created significant challenges for producers in impacted regions, and our government is taking action to ensure farmers have access to the support they need as they recover,” said Kostyshyn. “By enhancing AgriStability supports, we are helping producers manage the impacts of flooding, maintain their operations and continue contributing to Manitoba’s strong agricultural sector.”
The governments of Canada and Manitoba are also increasing the maximum interim payment available to producers enrolled in the 2026 AgriStability program year to 75 per cent from 50 per cent of the estimated final payment. This change will improve cash flow for producers by allowing them to receive a larger interim payment within weeks of submitting a completed application. Producers who have already received an interim payment will automatically receive a top-up to the 75 per cent level.
The Manitoba government has also implemented late participation for the 2026 AgriStability program year, allowing producers who did not enrol by the April 30 deadline to still participate in the program, albeit with a reduced benefit. Producers who wish to participate through late participation must pay the required fee before submitting their 2026 AgriStability enrolment.
Flooding across Manitoba in June and July affected producers at a critical point in the growing season and coincided with important AgriStability and AgriInvest deadlines. These targeted enhancements provide additional flexibility through existing Business Risk Management programs and help producers access support without the need for new programming.
AgriStability protects Canadian agricultural producers against large declines in farming income resulting from production losses, increased costs and changing market conditions. It is one of the Business Risk Management programs under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP).
For more information about AgriStability, visit http://agr.gc.ca/agristabili ty.