ALIDA - Cannington MLA Daryl Harrison says it is an honour to be the new minister of Agriculture for the provincial government.
Harrison was named to the role on Nov. 7 when Premier Scott Moe announced his cabinet to start the new term. Harrison replaces David Marit, who is now the minister of Highways and Infrastructure and the minister responsible for SaskBuilds.
It's the first cabinet post for Harrison, who was initially elected as Cannington's MLA in the 2020 provincial election and re-elected in the Oct. 28 election. He said he couldn't say enough good things about the previous agriculture ministers, in particular Marit, who Harrison described as a "great friend and mentor".
The two have spoken briefly since the cabinet posts were announced.
"Minister Marit's now got other duties, so there will be opportunities going forward [to talk], and I'm very appreciative of that," said Harrison.
Since the appointment was announced, Harrison has been learning everything he can about the role and more about the portfolio.
He voiced an interest in being in cabinet following the election, and was hopeful he would get an appointment, but he wasn't expecting it and there wasn't discussion of him being in cabinet during his first term.
"When the opportunity arises, I'm honoured to pick up that role," said Harrison.
Agriculture has long been a big part of Harrison's life. He is a rancher and a cow-calf producer, with about 160 cows on an operation near Alida. His mother and father were farmers, and his grandparents on both sides of the family were involved in farming. The Harrison family's operation has grown over the years.
"There's always lots to learn, and there are some great stakeholder groups, great producers across the province," said Harrison.
"It's probably one of the industries that uses technology, or grows technology, more than a lot of others," said Harrison. "There's a lot of technology in just a new tractor or combine, let alone the additional technology that you can add to your existing fleet."
The "leading-edge" technology that is created for agriculture can be expanded to other sectors later, he said.
Agriculture remains a backbone of the Saskatchewan economy, and Harrison said growing it and keeping it strong and vibrant is a top priority. Supporting producers with a business-risk management program is critical, and encouraging producers to participate is important.
"The agriculture research that goes on in this province is just second to none. I just can't say enough about that technology and the research that is conducted here within the province," said Harrison.
Serving as a cabinet minister will mean a lot more work and travel for Harrison. The agriculture sector is spread throughout the province, so Harrison knows he'll have to meet with lots of people and stakeholder groups.
"It's a fabulous industry and I look forward to meeting some new people and reacquainting myself with some old friends," said Harrison.
