The governments of Canada and Manitoba have renewed financial support for mental health services tailored to the agricultural community, extending funding for the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program (MFWP) over the next two years.
A total of $300,000 will be provided through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, with $150,000 allocated in each of the 2026–27 and 2027–28 fiscal years. The investment was announced by federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn.
The Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program was created to address the growing mental health pressures faced by farmers, farm families and agricultural workers. The program offers confidential, no-cost counselling delivered by professionals with agricultural literacy, ensuring supports are grounded in the realities of modern farming.
Supporting farmers through growing pressures
Agriculture continues to face a wide range of stressors, including extreme weather, fluctuating markets, rising input costs, labour shortages and the challenges of running multigenerational family operations. The program is designed to respond to those pressures by offering flexible, farmer-centred mental health care.
“Farmers and their families face many unique challenges that can take a real toll on mental health,” said MacDonald. “By extending support for the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program, we’re ensuring that producers have access to confidential, farm-focused counselling when they need it most. This investment is about strengthening resilience and helping our agricultural community thrive in an increasingly complex environment,” he notes.
Counsellors involved with the program understand the operational, financial and family dynamics that are unique to agriculture, allowing them to provide targeted and practical support.
Proven impact across Manitoba
Provincial officials say the program has already demonstrated its value since launching in 2022, with participation and counselling sessions steadily increasing as awareness and trust grow within the farming community.
“The MFWP has proven its value through measurable outcomes, helping reduce stress, prevent burnout, and provide tools and support for producers to manage the demands of modern agriculture,” said Kostyshyn. “This continued funding will allow the program to expand services, maintain timely access to counselling and support those in underserved areas such as farm employees and agricultural service providers,” he says.
In addition to one-on-one counselling, the program promotes mental wellness through workshops, presentations and multimedia resources offered across Manitoba.
Building resilience in agriculture
Program administrators say continued investment is essential as pressures on agriculture evolve and intensify.
“This investment recognizes something farmers have been telling us for years: caring for producers means supporting both their operations and their well-being,” said Gerry Friesen, chief administrative officer of the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program. “Ensuring timely, confidential access to mental health services is essential to helping farmers, farm families and agricultural workers stay resilient through the pressures and uncertainties of modern agriculture. This continued partnership strengthens our ability to be there for the people who feed our province and our country,” he adds.
The funding is part of the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $3.5-billion federal, provincial and territorial investment supporting Canada’s agriculture sector, with costs shared between federal and provincial governments.
With the renewed commitment, the Manitoba Farmer Wellness Program is expected to continue expanding access to mental health supports for those who play a critical role in the province’s agricultural economy.
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