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The price of a one-litre carton of milk will remain the same this year as the Manitoba government considers extending its price controls to larger containers of milk.
Currently, the province sets a maximum retail price for milk, but that law only applies to one-litre containers.
Premier Wab Kinew say the province will not increase the price for that carton in 2026 in order to give consumers a break at the grocery store.
“If we want to help people with the cost of living, starting with the essentials is something that makes a lot of sense,” he said.
Right now, the maximum price is $2.10 for homogenized milk and $2.03 for two per cent, while one per cent and skim are capped at $1.97 and $1.93, respectively.
The regulated price can be higher in northern communities because of transportation costs.
Idea of 4-cent increase floated
Kinew said the Farm Products Marketing Council, which has the legal authority to set regulated milk prices in Manitoba, had floated a four-cent increase for this year, but “we decided to go back, and credit to this board and the people who serve on it — they were willing to engage.”
While the retail price remains flat, the regulator is still increasing the price of milk for the dairy producers selling their product and the wholesalers distributing it.
“You won’t have to pay more, but also the farmer will still be getting enough to cover their considerations — like around their cost of doing business,” Kinew said.
“We think we’ve come up with a win-win here.”
Kinew acknowledged his government could make a bigger financial difference if it also controlled the price of milk in larger containers.
He said he’s instructed his staff to look into the prospect of regulating two-litre and four-litre containers as well.
Kinew said he hopes to know by the government’s next budget whether that is an option the province can pursue while ensuring farmers are adequately compensated.
“I know most people probably buy a four litre if you’re a family. A lot of people buy two litres,” he said.
Kate Kehler, executive director of the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, agrees that regulating larger cartons of milk would make a bigger difference.
Purchasing milk a litre at a time is more expensive than buying a four-litre jug, said Kehler, who advocates for people with low incomes.
“If you’re a senior living on your own, you’ll buy a litre and it’ll last you a week. But for a family, one litre is gone in a meal.”
She considers the government’s freeze on one-litre cartons a “small gesture in tough times,” and anything the province can do to decrease the price of food would help more.Â
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is considering implementing price controls on bigger cartons of milk than one litre. (Bryce Hoye/CBC)
The price for milk is usually amended by a few cents every year, but in 2022, during a period of high inflation, the council increased the price by 25 cents.
Kinew has made targeting grocery prices one of his government’s priorities.
It passed a law last year barring grocery stores from using real estate deals to restrict competition, which he hopes will lead to more stores and lower prices.
Since then, he’s commissioned a study to explore ways to help people save money on groceries, with details expected in the next budget.
Kinew is also looking at cracking down on differential pricing, a practice sometimes occurring online where people can be charged a different price for the same product at the same store.
WATCH | Manitoba freezes 1-litre milk prices for 2026:
Manitoba freezing 1-litre milk prices, mulling more controls
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says his government won’t allow a price increase for one-litre cartons of milk in 2026. The province is also considering price controls on larger containers of milk, he said.