The Manitoba government plans to spend more on health, education and paying off its debt.
But in its fourth balanced budget, the third time with a surplus, the province had little news for farmers.
“I think that agriculture is as badly ignored by the provincial government as it was by the federal government when they made their budget announcements a few weeks ago,” said Rosann Wowchuk, NDP critic for agriculture.
All told, spending on agriculture will rise by $33,600, less than one percent from last year, for a total just over $99 million.
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“We’re responsible for almost 20 percent of the jobs in Manitoba, we generate a good one-fifth of the gross domestic product, and we’re still going to be sitting around two percent of the total expenditures,” said a disappointed Don Dewar, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
Within the agriculture budget, research gained the most ground, rising more than 50 percent to $8.8 million.
Enns announced last month that the province will spend $6.5 million on the recently announced Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative.
The province will also try to convince the federal government to match $1.2 million for a sustainable agriculture initiative.
The program is designed to replace the expired Canada-Manitoba Agreement on Agricultural Sustainability program that gave farm groups money to experiment with and demonstrate new, environmentally friendly agricultural practices.
Enns said he is waiting for the right time to ask his provincial cabinet to double the funding for the program.
In other areas the budget allows for $100 million in new spending on health care on medical equipment, personal care homes, home care, pharmacare and reducing waiting lists.
In rural Manitoba, the government plans new personal care homes for Oakbank, Fisher Branch, The Pas and Hartney.
It will also buy a mobile breast cancer screening unit and provide money to operate it and another unit recently bought by the Manitoba Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation.
Students will see some relief on the interest they owe on student loans. The government is also putting aside more money for scholarships.
The budget includes a $23 million surplus.
But the government had to take $226 million from its fiscal stabilization fund to be able to increase spending and put more money down on its debt while balancing the budget.
