Farm group responds to ‘surprise’ appoint of agriculture minister

The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association was shocked when Heath McDonald was named the new Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister.

When Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his new cabinet this week, many were expecting Kody Blois to remain in the role, according to Kaitlyn Kitzan, the treasurer and one of the Directors of the Wheat Growers.

Kitzan said you don’t often see agriculture groups complimenting a Liberal government or Liberal ministers.

“I think Kody really resonated with Western Canadian farmers because he made an effort to come out to Western Canada to visit farms to get to know the industry, to get to know the people and listen to the agriculture industry,” Kitzan said. “During the campaign, a lot of his priorities and commitments really aligned with our association and what we believe, especially when it came down to trade and investment and regulatory modernization and reform. Kody, I think, was becoming really well respected in the Canadian agriculture industry.”

But like other farm groups, the Wheat Growers are looking forward to meeting with MacDonald, eventually, either virtually or in person.

“I personally think agriculture is the heart of the prairies. If he wants to be a great agriculture minister and get to know the sector, he should make a trip out to Western Canada to meet with the farmers here,” she said. “This is a great time to do so as tractors and seeders are in the field. It’s a great time to come learn about the technology and all the great work that our farmers are doing.”

In addition to touring Western Canada to get a sense of what farming looks like in this part of the world, Kitzan said the new agriculture minister needs to focus on trade with US and the Chinese tariffs top of mind.