Manitoba and Indiana Partner on Agriculture

Manitoba Post StaffNews

Indiana Lt.-Gov. Suzanne Crouch, accompanied to Manitoba by a 20-member delegation including representatives from Indiana companies, agricultural organizations, universities and state officials met with Deputy Premier Heather Stefanson, Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler and Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen. The purpose of the visit was to discuss the shared interest of both jurisdictions in building on the strong Canada–U.S. trade and investment partnership, fostering economic growth, and encouraging stronger business and research connections.

The agricultural sector has been a key driver of trade and economic growth in both Manitoba and Indiana. It will encourage stronger partnerships between researchers, innovation leaders, businesses and young farmers, and will share information and best practices to help each jurisdiction make the most of new opportunities to drive growth and innovation in agriculture and related sectors.

Manitoba’s ministers also discussed the broader Manitoba–Indiana trade relationship, which encompassed two-way trade worth $1.1 billion in 2017, an increase of almost 36 per cent since 2013. Indiana is Manitoba’s seventh-largest trading partner among U.S. states, and 189,800 jobs in Indiana depend on trade and investment with Canada.