David Marit keeps ag portfolio in Sask. cabinet shuffle

Aug 31, 2023

The cabinet changes added the Water Security Agency to Marit’s responsibilities

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Saskatchewan’s minister of agriculture didn’t change during Premier Scott Moe’s Aug. 29 cabinet shuffle, but David Marit did inherit a new responsibility.

Marit will also be the minister responsible for the Water Security Agency in addition to his duties as ag minister and minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corporation.

The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association (SCA) is pleased Marit retained the ag file.

The MLA for Wood River has served the ag sector during difficult times and will be a key player in future success, said Keith Day, chair of the SCA.

“Minister Marit has been a valuable partner and advocate for the beef industry here in Saskatchewan,” he said in a statement. “We are happy to see Minister Marit remain in his role so we can continue working on ways to support our farmers and ranchers. We know that more work needs to be done, but we know he has been a huge part of the progress we’ve seen to date.”

Multiple cabinet ministers, however, did change roles.

Jeremy Cockrill, for example, moved from the minister of highways and the Water Security Agency to become the minister of education.

The shuffle also saw one new MLA enter cabinet.

Moose Jaw North MLA Tim McLeod is the new minister of mental health and addictions, seniors and rural and remote health.

A full list of Premier Moe’s new cabinet can be found here.

Video: Canada's Agriculture Day 2025

Let's celebrate Canadian agriculture.

Well, number one, you don't eat without farmers. Farmers put food on the table. And what could be more important than that?

Well, I think it's important that Canadians understand exactly what takes place, what happens to produce this food, no matter what sector you're talking about.

An awful lot of work goes into that. It's important to understand that meat does not come out of a showcase, and milk does not come out of a bottle. It's produced by farmers and hard work.

Canada has the best farmers in the world. And agriculture is vital to Canada.

In 2024, our agriculture and agri-food sector represented $150 billion of Canada's GDP, nearly $100 billion of our exports, and one in nine jobs.

From grains to fruits to dairy and beef, we are truly blessed with an incredible bounty. Having spent my whole life in agriculture, I see so much potential for the sector.

This time last year, I was proud to open our first-ever agriculture and trade office in the Indo-Pacific, the world’s fastest-growing economy, to cement our presence in the region and grow our exports even more. We've also been making historic investments to help our farmers to boost their yields, protect the planet, and earn a fair living.

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Just say thank you to a farmer or a rancher. They work very hard, yes, for a living, but also with a sense of pride in what they produce.

That's what Canada's Agriculture Day is all about.