Brandon – The Canada and Manitoba governments through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) are investing $450,000 over 3 years towards the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) to provide access to professional counselling services to Manitoba’s agricultural community, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay, Premier Wab Kinew and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn announced today.
The ministers noted that this program is different from other mental health services available, as it is rooted in agriculture and the counsellors are familiar with the unique stressors of managing an agri-business, such as seasonality of operations, impact of extreme climate events, global and market fluctuations and the dynamics of rural living.
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program, a non-profit organization launched in 2022, addresses the mental health of farmers, farm families and farm workers through access beyond crisis intervention to longer-term counselling support that help prevent mental health crisis.
The funding will support MFWP to ensure a consistent and professional service delivery and a standardized onboarding for new counsellors. MFWP works with over 32 industry partners to promote mental wellness and coping strategies and resilience.
“Farmers face unique stressors and challenges, but they don’t complain, and they always get the job done. If they’re struggling with their mental health, we need to be there for them. Through this shared investment under Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, farmers across Manitoba will have better access to the tools and supports they need to continue producing the high-quality products we depend on.” – Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food