Manitoba MLA joins the SARL board
Jeff Bereza, the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Portage la Prairie and PC Critic for Agriculture, was recently elected to the board of the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL) during its agricultural summit held from January 3 to 5 in Des Moines, Iowa.
“This is the only meeting in North America that brings together state and provincial legislators who are passionate about promoting agriculture and protecting the rural way of life,” said Bereza. “Everyone who attends shares an interest in working together to solve problems and create new partnerships on both sides of the border.”
SARL represents leaders from all 50 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. Bereza, who became acquainted with the organization at the Midwestern Legislative Conference in Columbus, Ohio, last summer, quickly recognized its value and expressed interest in becoming involved.
“I realized very quickly that this was a group of like-minded people who were bringing forward issues that are non-partisan,” said Bereza.
Several Canadian agriculture organizations also participated in the summit, including the Canadian Meat Council, Canadian Canola Growers, BASF, Canadian Pork Council, Canadian Beef, and Keystone Agricultural Producers. Throughout the event, the main message emphasized the global need for food security.
“Everyone I spoke to, whether Canadian or American, agreed that we have much in common regardless of our borders,” said Bereza. “We had a really strong Canadian contingent at the summit, and we were very proud to sing ‘O Canada’ for our U.S. counterparts.”
Wayne Ewasko, Leader of the Official Opposition, highlighted the importance of Manitoba having a strong presence at SARL, especially with Bereza stepping into the role once held by former Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson. Ewasko expressed confidence that Bereza’s leadership would continue advocating for Manitoba farmers and their interests on the North American stage.
“Manitoba farmers continue to have a passionate advocate addressing their challenges and opportunities on the North American stage,” said Ewasko. “Leaders like Ralph Eichler and Derek Johnson paved the way, and now Jeff Bereza’s election to the SARL board continues this proud tradition of diplomacy. His leadership reinforces our commitment to advancing policies that strengthen rural economies, support innovation in agriculture, and secures North America’s food supply.”
Photo Credit: The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba