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The Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie says Canadian agriculture is at a critical juncture, with the recent dramatic rise of trade uncertainty, high costs, and more frequent extreme weather events.
He notes during the recent election, the CFA made the priorities of Canadian farmers very clear: farmers need to see a focus on competitiveness, resiliency, and maintaining rule-based trade.
Currie says they'll work with the government on ensuring farmers receive the support they need in light of tariffs and international trade disputes and will work on taking down the barriers that inhibit trade and growth within Canada.
Heath MacDonald has a finance and business background and has sat on the Agriculture Committee in the House of Commons.
The Grain Growers of Canada Executive Director Kyle Larkin says he's known the new Ag Minister for a few years now.
"He has a bit of the background in agricultural policy, certainly a background in finance and business. So I think we're hopeful and optimistic that he'll bring a new lens to the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, which, you know, we believe is well needed, especially looking at things through an economic financial lens. Any policies that we may see in the future should certainly have that lens moving forward. Certainly going to miss Minister Kody Blois. He was only on the job for a few weeks, but I can tell you that he got a lot done in those few weeks, even more than what was done over the past few years. And farmers I've spoken to across the country, including producers in Saskatchewan, all had a positive impression of Mr. Blois. So we're sorry to see him leave, but we're certainly welcoming Mr. MacDonald to the job."
Larkin says he (MacDonald) has been opposed to a lot of policies that have impacted grain farmers, such as the capital gains tax increase, such as the carbon tax.
"The top three issues for us (GGC) that we want to see get done within the next month and a half is
#1 We got to reset our trading relationships both with the US and China. Really happy to see the Prime Minister in the Oval Office last week rebuilding a relationship with President Trump. So that's a good first step, but we also can't forget about about China. They've got 100% tariffs right now on our canola oil and peas. So that relationship needs to be reset.
#2 is permanent cut of the carbon tax for on farm activities. This is something the the Liberals committed to in their platform. So we want to see action on.
#3 the other thing that they committed to in their platform is permanently reversing the capital gains tax increase. So we're looking also for that within the next month and a half".
Larkin continues after that, we'll be working with Minister MacDonald on a number of different things, getting our research and development on the Ag side back in check. So getting dollars back into the department and getting dollars to incentivize private sector for research and development. We need to fix our infrastructure. Anybody who's been to the port of Vancouver has seen that it's.
crumbling. We also need to fix our Labor Relations we cannot survive labor disruptions almost every month. And the third piece is international trade. So looking at trade diversification, but also domestic diversification. How can we produce more food here in Canada, especially on the processing side of things? So how can we produce more canola oil or produce more flour or pulse products. There's a whole swath of issues and and challenges ahead of us that we'll certainly be working with Minister MacDonald on.
The Wheat Growers Association says the new Minister of Agriculture's leadership comes at a time when the ag sector faces major challenges and even greater opportunities.
They note they are anxious to see campaign commitments move swiftly into action: modernized regulations, improved market access, and the removal of growth-stifling barriers.
"Canadian agriculture can and should be a global powerhouse, but we need decisive steps now. That includes infrastructure investment, expanded port capacity, and a 24/7/365 trade system that truly works for farmers."
The Wheat Growers say they stand ready to work with Minister MacDonald to help build a more competitive, sustainable, and prosperous future for Canadian agriculture.
The Canadian Cattle Association says they look forward to continuing their relationship and working together with the new Agriculture Minister on policies that support Canadian beef farmers and ranchers to help assure a profitable and sustainable industry.
The National Cattle Feeders Association also noted on "X" that they are looking forward to working with the new minister on policies that support the Canadian beef industry.
The Fruit and Vegetable Growers of Canada are calling on the new Federal Agriculture Minister to take quick action on food security.
Executive Director Massimo Bergamini says the best way to safeguard food security for Canadians is to ensure Canadian growers have the tools they need to stay competitive at home and abroad.
"The federal government must act quickly to deliver modern business risk management and mitigation programs, predictable access to labour, effective and safe crop protection tools, investment in greenhouse agriculture, and trade policy that reflects the realities of a perishable, seasonal sector."
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) President Bill Prybylski says the appointment of Heath MacDonald as Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food offers an exciting opportunity for renewed focus and action on the critical issues facing Saskatchewan farmers today.
He notes this marks a pivotal moment to innovate and drive growth in agriculture and ensure producers have the tools, policies, and infrastructure they need to succeed.