Manitoba Regulation 83/2026, the Producer Registration and Processor Licensing Order, establishes updated requirements for the registration of milk producers and the licensing of dairy processors in Manitoba. The Order is made under the Dairy Farmers of Manitoba Marketing Plan Regulation, Manitoba Regulation 89/2004, and replaces the previous Registration and Licensing Order, Manitoba Regulation 226/84. The new Order updates eligibility, application, renewal, and licensing requirements within Manitoba’s dairy industry.

The Order prohibits a person from producing raw milk or marketing it to a dairy plant unless they are a registered producer, subject to an existing exception in the marketing plan. Registration eligibility is closely tied to Manitoba residency and dairy quota. Individual applicants must be residents and must have been allotted, or be entitled to be allotted, a quota. Partnerships must hold or be entitled to a quota, and every partner must be a resident and an immediate family member of every other partner. Corporations must similarly hold or qualify for a quota, while all voting and controlling shares must be legally and beneficially owned by residents who are immediate family members of one another.

For purposes of the Order, a resident must be legally entitled to reside in Canada and either make their home in Manitoba while being physically present in the province for at least 183 days in a calendar year, or satisfy the board that they intend to establish their home in Manitoba and meet the 183-day requirement in the following year. These provisions reinforce the Manitoba-based nature of the dairy production system and establish clear ownership and residency requirements.

Eligible individuals, partnerships, and corporations may apply to the board for registration or renewal. Applications must follow the form and submission process established by the board, be signed by the applicant, and include applicable fees. Once approved or renewed, registration expires on March 31 of the third year following approval or renewal. The board may terminate a registration if the producer no longer meets the eligibility requirements or provided false or misleading information in an application. Producers who fail to renew their registration cannot receive payments under section 17 of the marketing plan until their registration is renewed. Registered producers must also notify the board of changes to information contained in their application within six months of the change.

The Order introduces a separate licensing requirement for dairy processors. No person may operate a dairy plant unless they hold a processor licence for that plant. Applicants must provide proof of financial responsibility, a surety bond satisfactory to the board, and any required fees.

Importantly, the Order contains transitional provisions designed to avoid disruption. Existing registered milk producers under the former 1984 Order are deemed registered under the new system, with their registration expiring according to the new three-year cycle.

Manitoba (83/2026) August 19, 2026
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and does not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.