agriculture sector

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

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.