Header Side Menu Content Footer
Government of Manitoba
Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives
Get Started
Stay Connected
to the Manitoba Government

To view PDF files, you must have a copy of the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available as a free download:

Get Adobe Reader

Agri-Food and Rural Development Division

This division provides front-line service delivery and extension programs to accelerate the growth and renewal of the agrifood industry and rural economy.

Growing Opportunities (GO) Offices and Centres are the department's main service delivery channel at the local level. This network of specialized staff delivers technical assistance and extension services that help farm and rural families succeed. They also provide rural Manitobans with single-window access to all MAFRI services.

Other branches administer and shape programs that support the development of leadership, knowledge and opportunity at the farm, business and community level.

The division works in close partnership with communities, municipal governments, local and regional development organizations, businesses, co-operatives and youth organizations.

The division has four branches:

For more information on the division's activities, see the departments' annual reports.

Growing Opportunities (GO) Offices and Centres

  • Provides Manitobans with single-window access to the department's services through a network of MAFRI GO Offices and Centres across the province.
  • Works with department Knowledge Centres to deliver training and information programs dealing with:
    • farm production
    • farm and rural business management
    • community and economic development
    • entrepreneurship
    • First Nations agriculture
    • immigration
    • youth and leadership capacity development
    • urban and consumer agriculture awareness
    • northern foods
    • food and agriproduct processing
    • industrial development
    • food commercialization and marketing
  • Increases public awareness of the importance of the agriculture and agrifood industry to the Manitoba economy.

Economy and Rural Development

  • Provides leadership for programs supporting development of human and community capacity in rural Manitoba.
  • Encourages expansion of value-added processing, business growth and economic development opportunities.
  • Facilitates collaboration and partnerships among farm and rural economic development stakeholders.
  • Provides information and services supporting farm business development.

Economic Development Initiatives

  • Manages the re-investment of video lottery revenue into rural and northern Manitoba.
  • Encourages economic development and diversification.
  • Collaborates with other departments in the delivery of economic and business development programs.

Food Commercialization and Marketing

  • Partners with industry to develop strategies supporting commercialization and market development of value-added food products and agritourism experiences.
  • Partners with industry to increase the profile of Manitoba food products through trade missions and shows.
  • Provides resource materials, market intelligence and consumer trends information to support product and market development.
  • Partners with industry groups to develop marketing materials and campaigns that encourage the purchase of Manitoba ingredients and food products at retail and food service establishments.
  • Partners with industry groups to promote Manitoba's agritourism, direct farm marketing and organic agriculture sectors.
  • Works with individual food industry businesses and entrepreneurs on business planning and markets development.

Bookmark and Share