Dauphin MLA and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyushyn joined with his federal counterpart, last week, to anounce assistance for Manitoba’s agri-food and agri-product producers and processors to adopt and improve  food safety and traceability practices.

“The Manitoba government continues to support the agri-food and agri-product sectors through these programs to protect consumer safety and increase market access and export capacity,” Kostyshyn said.

“We are proud to provide programming that meets the demands of sustainability and that leverages traceability as an effective tool to prevent and respond to animal health or food emergencies, making Manitoba food products competitive on a global scale.”

The Pre-Approved Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program assists in the purchase of pre-approved common equipment used to monitor and control food safety parameters and to improve traceability systems.

Food safety and traceability are not only important for public safety, but also a requirement for many regulators, associations and customers. In 2023-24, a total of 37 projects were approved for close to $200,000.

“With investments through the Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program, we’re making sure they can modernize their operations, grow and stay competitive, while tapping into new export markets,” federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Lawrence MacAulay said. 

Eligible applicant groups that may apply for funding under the Pre-Approved Food Safety and Traceability Equipment Program include primary producers, agri-food processors, agri-product processors, licensed commercial kitchens, food and ingredient wholesalers, abattoirs and Indigenous communities, groups and governments.

There is a maximum funding limit of $30,000 for all food safety items and $30,000 for all traceability items.

Applications are being accepted until Jan. 23, 2025.