Almost a quarter of Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development's full-time positions need to be filled.
MAFRD deputy minister Dori Gingera-Beauchemin says there is a 23.58 per cent vacancy rate as of September 30.
She says there's been a strategic realignment in the department, and there was a little bit of a hiatus in filling some positions.
"During that period, we actually were very careful as to making sure that we were attracting the right skill sets and the right experience to ensure that we had that lined up with our new focus areas," says Gingera-Beauchemin.
Tory agriculture critic Blaine Pedersen says if there's a near 25 per cent vacancy rate there are obviously things not being done, and wonders what's being left behind.
He says he's also heard vacancy rates are higher in rural areas, which he finds concerning.
"You just can't fill up that from existing staff there and so it's services that are not being fulfilled to the rural communities," says Pedersen.
