Key Industries
Agribusiness
Winnipeg is a global agricultural powerhouse. Our city is home to many of Canada’s leading international agribusiness companies and industry associations, with a mature agri-food research and development ecosystem, a collaborative business environment, and easy access to markets in North America and beyond, Winnipeg is a compelling choice for investment.
Discover the reasons many national and international agribusiness organizations choose Winnipeg:
Our agribusiness sector’s contribution to the Manitoba GDP is the third highest in Canada, while the contributions by crop and animal production are the second highest in the country.
Manitoba supplies one-fifth or more of Canada’s hogs, soybeans, oats, and potatoes.
Manitoba is home to 24 world-class agri-food research and development centres.
189 food and beverage manufacturing companies are located in Winnipeg (CMA).
Protein Supercluster
Local businesses are part of the Protein Industries Canada (PIC) supercluster. Manitoba is ideally positioned to be a world leader in protein processing because of its ecosystem which now includes:
- Roquette - the world’s largest pea processing facility
- Maple Leaf Foods - the largest bacon processing facility in Canada
- Manitoba Harvest - the world’s largest hemp food products manufacturer
Young and Innovative
- Large operations are led by Canada’s second-youngest community of farm operators
- Farmers Edge, a leader in the booming ag-tech industry, was awarded the Technology Pioneer Award from the World Economic Forum in 2016
- Winnipeg-based Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) offers a unique partnership between industry, academia, and the Protein Industries Canada (PIC) supercluster, to accelerate the development of AI technologies for the agricultural sector.
Local Success Stories

Paterson GlobalFoods
Paterson GlobalFoods is investing in the construction of an oat processing plant in Winnipeg.
$94,000,000 / 2019

HyLife Foods
HyLife Foods is investing in expanding its processing facility in Neepawa and increasing pig production in its vertically integrated operation.
$176,000,000 / 2018

Roquette
Roquette is investing in building the world’s largest pea protein processing facility in Portage la Prairie.
$600,000,000 / 2018

Simplot
J.R. Simplot is investing in the expansion of its potato processing plant.
$460,000,000 / 2018
Fast Facts
-
$6B
Real GDP
(Manitoba Agribusiness, 2018) -
$11.6B
Selected Agribusiness Sector Revenues
(Manitoba, 2018) -
$3.2B
Primary Production Real GDP
(Manitoba Agribusiness, 2018) -
$1.4B
Food Manufacturing Real GDP
(Manitoba Agribusiness, 2018) -
13.8K
Agribusiness Employees
(Winnipeg CMA, 2018) -
$1.5B+
Manitoba Agri-food
investments since 2016 -
189
Food & Beverage Processing Business Establishments
(Winnipeg CMA, 2018) -
1,865
Agribusiness Business Establishments
(Winnipeg CMA, 2018)
Research & Development
University of Manitoba Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences
Enterprise Machine Intelligence & Learning Initiative (EMILI)
Manitoba Food Development Centre
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Richardson Innovation Centre (opening in 2020)
Prairie Research Kitchen at Paterson GlobalFoods Institute (Red River College)
Canadian Centre for Agri-Food Research in Health and Medicine (CCARM)
Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi)
Key Network

Cereals Canada
Cereals Canada is a national, not-for-profit organization that brings a broad and diverse collaboration of partners from all sectors of the cereals value chain.

Canola Council of Canada
The Canola Council of Canada is the first industry association in the country to encompass all links in the value chain. Its mission is to advance the growth and profitability of the canola industry based on innovation, sustainability, resilience, and the creation of superior value for a healthier world.

Food & Beverage Manitoba
Food & Beverage Manitoba is an industry-led association dedicated to promoting Manitoba’s vibrant food and beverage industry, and ensuring members have the resources, strength and conditions they need to succeed.

Manitoba Pork
Manitoba Pork is the representative organization for all pork producers in Manitoba, with a mission to foster the sustainability and prosperity of the hog sector for the good of pork producers and all Manitobans.

Protein Industries Canada
Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization created to position Canada as a global source of high-quality plant protein and plant-based co-products, and is one of Canada's five innovation Superclusters.

Pulse Canada
Pulse Canada is the national association of growers, traders, and processors of Canadian pulses, also known as lentils, dry peas, beans and chickpeas.