The inauguration of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan has brought about government support and a positive outlook from the agriculture industry.

Today at the first Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Conference, Lyle Stewart, Saskatchewan minister of agriculture, showed his support for the organization by announcing a three-year commitment to Farm and Food Care. During those years, the federal and provincial government will invest $300,000.

Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan represents livestock, crop and horticulture producers across the province.

“In order to take agriculture awareness to the next level, we need co-ordinated effort along the entire value chain. We need to ensure the agriculture and agri-food industry can speak to consumers with one voice.”

To speak with this one voice, Farm Animal Council of Saskatchewan was disbanded yesterday to “make way” for Farm and Food Care.

Minister Stewart also mentioned an agriculture awareness group with an awareness strategy that has been developed. The four pillars involved in the strategy are industry organization and engagement; focus on youth and education; enterprise efforts to promote agriculture; and advancing agriculture awareness nationally.

“As an organization representing multiple producer groups, it will help to better co-ordinate industry efforts and it can ensure producers have access to up-to-date information relevant to their own sectors,” Stewart said.