Photo courtesy of the United Conservative Party of Alberta / Tara Sawyer MLA

Alberta’s crop sector is welcoming a familiar face to the province’s agriculture leadership following a cabinet shuffle announced by Premier Danielle Smith on May 21.

Alberta Grains congratulated Tara Sawyer on her appointment as Alberta’s new minister of agriculture and irrigation, citing her extensive experience within the grain industry and her understanding of the challenges facing producers across the province.

Sawyer brings a strong agricultural background to the role, including serving as past chair of Alberta Grains and advocating on behalf of farmers throughout the grain value chain.

“We congratulate Minister Sawyer on her appointment and look forward to continuing to work together to support Alberta farmers and strengthen the province’s agriculture sector,” said Alberta Grains Chair Scott Jespersen in a statement released Thursday.

Jespersen added that Sawyer’s experience as both a farmer and industry leader will provide valuable perspective at a critical time for Alberta agriculture, as producers continue to navigate issues tied to global markets, competitiveness and long-term sustainability.

The organization also thanked outgoing agriculture minister RJ Sigurdson for his work with Alberta’s crop sector during his tenure.

“Minister Sigurdson has been a strong supporter of Alberta agriculture and we appreciate his willingness to engage with farmers and agricultural organizations on issues that matter to our industry,” Jespersen said.

Sigurdson now moves into the role of minister of affordability and utilities as part of the cabinet changes.

Looking ahead, Alberta Grains says it plans to continue working with both Sawyer and the provincial government on priorities important to wheat and barley producers, including market access, research investment and policies aimed at strengthening the profitability and long-term viability of farming operations across Alberta.

Alberta Grains is a farmer-directed, not-for-profit organization representing Alberta’s wheat and barley farmers through research, advocacy and extension initiatives designed to support the sustainability and profitability of the grain industry. For more information about Alberta Grains, visit their website at www.albertagrains.com.

Information for this article was sourced from Alberta Grains.