By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — An agreement between Indiana and the Canadian province of Manitoba should serve to bolster trade and other relations between the two entities, according to Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.

The memorandum of understanding between Indiana and Manitoba calls for increasing opportunities in agriculture in such areas as food, feed, fuel, animal husbandry and grain processing. It also promotes relationships between universities in Indiana and Manitoba “with a focus on agricultural economy and other agricultural sciences and research, and in an effort to facilitate student and scholar exchange programs.”

The agreement calls for continued development and expansion of youth leadership and education programming. The memorandum was signed Sept. 17 during a visit to Manitoba by an Indiana delegation led by Crouch. It is valid for five years and may be renewed for five additional years.

“This is the beginning of a stronger relationship with Manitoba,” she noted. “They are our biggest export partner. We value this relationship and we value this partnership.”

The Hoosier State exports more products to Canada than any other country and has more than 70 Canadian businesses, according to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). Those businesses provide more than 15,600 jobs.

Almost 190,000 jobs in the state depend on trade and investment with Canada, ISDA added.

Working groups to be formed in Indiana will focus on educational, agricultural and business opportunities, Crouch said. Officials in Indiana and Manitoba plan to talk on a quarterly basis.

“We’ve extended an invitation to businesses and the government of Manitoba to come to Indiana in the future,” she explained. “We want to move these relationships forward.”

Purdue University officials may look into forming a partnership with the University of Manitoba, which could include an exchange of students, she said.

In light of the trade and tariff dispute between the United States and Canada, Crouch said it was important to both Indiana and Manitoba officials to discuss their relationship.

“We wanted Canada and Manitoba to know we value that relationship,” she said. “They understood that message. We were there to say, ‘Let’s move forward.’”

Bruce Kettler, ISDA director, said it was “good for farmers on the trip to understand the majority of the same concerns they have about trade and tariffs are shared by Canadian farmers.”

An agreement on trade and tariffs needs to be ironed out at the federal level and when it does, he said, “Indiana businesses and farmers will have already established relationships with key leaders in Manitoba. We’ll already have a leg up.

“Having relationships is important. We do have a lot in common, and they know the relationships matter.”

Ralph Eichler, Manitoba’s minister of agriculture, agreed. “Indiana and Manitoba share common priorities and strengths in the agricultural sector that provide excellent opportunities for more collaboration and information sharing.”

The Indiana-Manitoba agreement could eventually be used as a model for similar relationships with other Canadian provinces, Kettler pointed out. Businesses and others in Manitoba have been encouraging their government leaders to make a similar trip to the United States, he said.