Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP)
This program ends March 31, 2025.
The Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP) works with producers to increase the implementation of select Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) on farms in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to address issues related to climate change in agriculture.
The BMPs eligible under the PWCP focus on three categories:
Improving Nitrogen Management: for example, agronomic services to develop farm-specific nutrient management plans, equipment modifications for fertilizer application in fields, and soil sampling and analysis.
- Increasing adoption of cover cropping: for example, payment-per-acre to cover adoption or related costs such as seeds and equipment. Cover crops are plants, like clover and alfalfa, that are planted to cover the soil rather than for the purpose of being harvested.
- Expanding the adoption of rotational grazing: for example, agronomic services to develop grazing management plans, interior cross fencing, water system infrastructure, legume and forage seeds. Rotational grazing is the practice of containing and moving livestock through pasture to allow forage plants to recover, deepen their root systems and improve soil health.
The Prairie Watersheds Climate Program (PWCP) is led by the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) and delivered in Saskatchewan by the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds (SAW) and in Manitoba by Manitoba’s Watershed Districts.
The PWCP provides up to $40 million in financial support, through the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF), to producers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan to accelerate their adoption and implementation of on-farm beneficial management practices (BMPs) to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, support production efficiency, sustainability and resiliency on their farm operations. To assist producers with their adoption of new BMPs, the program offers producers resources to support BMP implementation and provide BMP design recommendations.
Factsheets
Click on one of the buttons below to learn more about BMPs covered through the program, eligibility requirements, and more!
Additional PWCP Resources
Important Program Points to Note
- An activity can only be funded once on the same parcel of land through OFCAF funding.
- Landlords and tenants both cannot apply for funding on the same piece of land.
- Producers are eligible for a maximum of $75,000 of OFCAF funding, including all eligible activities across all BMPs for the project period to accelerate their adoption and implementation of on-farm beneficial management practices (BMPs) to reduce GHG emissions, support production efficiency, sustainability, and resiliency on their farm operations.
- To assist producers with their adoption of all three BMPs, PWCP will offer producers resources to support BMP implementation.
- The PWCP Program has been extended until March 31, 2025.
- The PWCP Program is subject to change without notice.
About OFCAF (On-Farm Climate Action Fund)
Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) is a $200 million, 3-year fund (from 2021 to 2024) which funds 12 different programs (PWCP being one such program) to support farmers in adopting beneficial management practices (BMPs) that store carbon and reduce greenhouse gases as well as provide other environmental benefits such as improved biodiversity and soil health. Activities such as outreach, education, and training are supported to promote the adaption of the BMPs.
The Prairie Watersheds Climate Program Approach
- PWCP takes a grassroots, regional approach to address issues related to climate change in agriculture and supports producers in implementing BMPs that have a positive impact on Canadian agriculture.
- 85 percent of funding goes towards the adoption of BMPs and BMP education/awareness activities for agricultural producers, who are the Ultimate Recipients of the program.
- Ultimate recipients (farmers and ranchers) can seek registration and offset credits under voluntary offset credit programs for GHG emissions reductions generated with the support of the Prairie Watersheds Climate Program. The ability of ultimate recipients to participate in these markets will be subject to eligibility requirements set up by voluntary offset programs.
- Ultimate recipients (farmers) cannot apply to any regulatory carbon offset program for the GHG emissions reductions generated between the Project Eligibility Date (“February 7, 2022″) and the Project Completion Date (“June 30, 2025“) including those dates.
- GHG Emission Reduction Credits restrictions for Ultimate Recipients only apply to the fiscal year(s) in which the Ultimate Recipient receives funding.
- All payments made to Ultimate Recipients for BMP adoption in the areas of nitrogen
management, cover cropping, and rotational grazing are to be considered “farm support payments” as per subsection 234(2) of the Income Tax Act R.S.C 1985. As such all payments to farmers are to be considered income for the farm business and are subject to Income Tax. - Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) will be preparing and submitting annually to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) AGR-1 forms for each PWCP payment to Ultimate Recipients.
Funding for this program has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund.
