The Minister of Agriculture (formerly the Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development) is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada, responsible for Manitoba Agriculture. The ministry oversees provincial government activity in agriculture, agri-food, and the agri-product sector, as well as natural resource development.[1]
The current Minister of Agriculture is Ron Kostyshyn of the New Democratic Party.[2] [3] He was appointed following the inauguration of the government led by Wab Kinew after the NDP's victory in the 2023 Manitoba general election.
Some changes in the ministerial responsibilities have resulted in change to the name of the ministry. Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) was created on 4 November 2003, under the NDP government led by Gary Doer, when the Department of Agriculture and Food was merged with Rural Initiatives and Cooperative Development (both from the Department of Intergovernmental Affairs). On 3 May 2016, the new Progressive Conservative government, led by Brian Pallister, renamed the cabinet position as the "Minister of Agriculture".
In late 2019, oversight of the agriculture portfolio merged with that of natural resource development and sustainable development, thereby forming the new Ministry of Agriculture and Resource Development.[4] Likewise, the remaining economic development and business portfolios of Growth, Enterprise and Trade formed the new Ministry of Economic Development and Training.[5]
| Name[6] | Party | Took office | Left office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minister of Agriculture | ||||
| Thomas Howard | Conservative | January 13, 1871 | January 23, 1871 | |
| Alfred Boyd | Government | January 23, 1871 | December 14, 1871 | |
| John Norquay | Conservative | December 14, 1871 | July 8, 1874 | |
| Edward Hay | Liberal | July 8, 1874 | December 2, 1874 | |
| James McKay | Government | December 16, 1875 | October 16, 1878 | |
| Pierre Delorme | Conservative | January 14, 1879 | June 4, 1879 | |
| Maxime Goulet | Government | January 7, 1880 | November 16, 1881 | |
| Marc-Amable Girard | Conservative | November 16, 1881 | January 1883 | |
| Alphonse Larivière | Lib-Con | September 6, 1883 | August 27, 1886 | |
| David Howard Harrison | Lib-Con | August 27, 1886 | December 24, 1887 | |
| Thomas Greenway | Liberal | January 19, 1888 | January 6, 1900 | |
| John Andrew Davidson | Liberal | January 10, 1900 | December 22, 1900 | |
| Rodmond Roblin | Conservative | December 22, 1900 | October 11, 1911 | |
| George Lawrence | Conservative | October 11, 1911 | May 2, 1915 | |
| Valentine Winkler | Liberal | May 15, 1915 | June 7, 1920 | |
| George Malcolm | Liberal | September 30, 1920 | June 6, 1922 | |
| John Williams | Liberal | June 6, 1922 | August 8, 1922 | |
| Neil Cameron | Progressive | August 8, 1922 | December 3, 1923 | |
| John Bracken | Progressive | December 3, 1923 | January 12, 1925 | |
| Albert Prefontaine | Progressive | January 12, 1925 | May 29, 1932 | |
| Donald Gordon McKenzie | Lib–Progressive | May 27, 1932 | April 28, 1936 | |
| John Bracken | Lib–Progressive | April 28, 1936 | September 21, 1936 | |
| Douglas Campbell | Lib–Progressive | December 21, 1936 | December 14, 1948 | |
| Francis Bell | Lib–Progressive | December 14, 1948 | November 7, 1952 | |
| Ronald Robertson | Lib–Progressive | November 7, 1952 | July 6, 1956 | |
| Charles Shuttleworth | Lib–Progressive | July 6, 1956 | June 30, 1958 | |
| Errick Willis | PC | June 30, 1958 | August 7, 1959 | |
| Minister of Agriculture and Conservation | ||||
| George Hutton | PC | August 7, 1959 | June 30, 1966 | |
| Minister of Agriculture | ||||
| Harry Enns | PC | July 22, 1967 | September 24, 1968 | |
| James Douglas Watt | PC | September 24, 1968 | July 15, 1969 | |
| Sam Uskiw | New Democratic | July 15, 1969 | October 24, 1977 | |
| James Downey | PC | October 24, 1977 | November 30, 1981 | |
| Bill Uruski | New Democratic | November 30, 1981 | September 21, 1987 | |
| Leonard Harapiak | New Democratic | September 21, 1987 | May 9, 1988 | |
| Glen Findlay | PC | May 9, 1988 | September 10, 1993 | |
| Harry Enns | PC | September 10, 1993 | October 5, 1999 | |
| Minister of Agriculture and Food | ||||
| Rosann Wowchuk | New Democratic | October 5, 1999 | November 4, 2003 | |
| Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives | ||||
| Rosann Wowchuk | New Democratic | November 4, 2003 | November 3, 2009 | |
| Stan Struthers | New Democratic | November 3, 2009 | January 13, 2012 | |
| Ron Kostyshyn | New Democratic | January 13, 2012 | October 18, 2013 | |
| Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development | ||||
| Ron Kostyshyn | New Democratic | October 18, 2013 | May 3, 2016 | |
| Minister of Agriculture | ||||
| Ralph Eichler | PC | May 3, 2016 | October 23, 2019 | |
| Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development | ||||
| Blaine Pedersen | PC | October 23, 2019 | July 15, 2021 | |
| Ralph Eichler | PC | July 15, 2021 | January 18, 2022 | |
| Minister of Agriculture | ||||
| Derek Johnson | PC | January 18, 2022 | present | |
| Ron Kostyshyn | New Democratic | October 18, 2023 | present | |