Manitoba Agriculture has amalgamated its livestock and crops branches as it looks for cost savings in the department.
“First of all, there was no cuts, there were efficiencies found within the department,” said Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler during an unrelated press conference.
He also confirmed three director positions have been eliminated, though the individuals who held them have been offered other roles within the department.
Not all changes were tied to cost reduction, however. Eichler added that some changes were made to ensure the department “had the right people in the right place.”
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While he could not offer a dollar figure for the efficiencies found within Manitoba Agriculture, Eichler said Finance Minister Cameron Friesen estimates changes made to senior administration will result in an annual savings of $10 million across all departments.
“The Manitoba government is committed to fixing the finances of our province in order to protect and improve the services Manitoba families depend on. Immediately following the election, we led by example and undertook a complete reorganization of departments which resulted in a one-third reduction in the size of cabinet and political staff,” said Eichler in an earlier statement.
“Under the previous NDP administration, the number of positions at the executive level grew nearly four times the rate of overall staff growth within the civil service, while access or the quality of services did not improve,” he added.
No comment was provided regarding how the newly amalgamated branch will operate.
