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The Manitoba government is considering legislation to improve grocery affordability through measures laid out in a new report, according to Finance Minister Adrien Sala.
The options were identified in the report on grocery prices, which was commissioned by the Manitoba government and released Monday.
“This study will help guide the next steps,” Sala said. “It brings together data, research, and policy expertise to better understand how grocery prices are affecting Manitobans and what tools are available to government to improve affordability, strengthen competition, support local food systems and protect consumers.”
The report analyzed the consumer price index (CPI) of weekly food purchases for many households, including meat, fresh produce, and eggs — which rose by 4.8 per cent, 4.7 per cent, and 6.0 per cent respectively from 2020 to 2025, according to the report.
The government study noted fair pricing standards would help ensure shoppers are not being victimized by tactics like surge pricing and shrinkflation.
The governing Manitoba NDP is considering legislation to standardize unit pricing at grocers provincewide, Sala told reporters.
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Per unit price tags, which are already used in Quebec, show what a product costs for each individual item, instead of only showing a sum price for the container.
The province will also recommend a new grocery store be built in downtown Winnipeg, which has been a subject of public conversation for many years. This will provide people who live and work downtown with shopping options and keep them price-aware, the finance minister said.
To deal with rising food production, transportation and distribution costs, the report identified the benefits of expanding local methods of food distribution, such as community gardens and co-op stores.
Larger issues, including geo-political tensions and supply chain gaps, were also identified as contributing factors to rising costs.
Many of the root causes of these price spikes cannot be dealt with at the provincial level for food grown outside of the province, according to Fletcher Baragar, an associate professor with the University of Manitoba’s department of economics.
“There’s a limited amount, I think that a provincial government could do to make lasting and significant changes,” he said.
Some ways Manitoba could lower back-end costs include improving transportation. Bettering the highways and revamping railways can help ensure the flow of goods is swift and cost-efficient, Baragar said.
“Making sure that there are competitive opportunities for new businesses to come in within the market is, I think, important. But, again, those are not things that are really going to change prices in the very short run,” he added.
Next week, one step the province is taking to lower grocery prices will come into effect as GST will be eliminated from prepared food purchases at stores as of July 1.
Compared to the rest of Canada, Manitoba’s CPI was around the national average for food, Statistics Canada data shows. The province’s food-related inflation rate increased by two per cent since the beginning of 2026.
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