Surrounded by family and friends, Blayne Arthur was sworn in Monday for her second term as Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture. The ceremony followed Gov. Kevin Stitt taking the oath of office for his second term as Oklahoma governor.
“I’m grateful to Gov. Stitt for the opportunity to serve another four years as Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture,” Arthur said. “I look forward to continuing our work with farmers and ranchers across the state as we show the nation that Oklahoma is the premier place for agricultural innovation, production, and business.”
There were many accomplishments during Arthur’s first term at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. With an eye on the future, ODAFF created the Ag Youth Council in 2019 to help high school students develop leadership skills and explore career opportunities in Oklahoma agriculture. In 2020, ODAFF administered grants to invest in the meat processing sector to address the skilled labor shortage and to increase processing capacity across the state. In 2021, Sec. Arthur traveled to Azerbaijan and established an Oklahoma business in their market. And in 2022, ODAFF approved 20 new meat processing facilities, while new sales records were set for the Made in Oklahoma program.
Over the years, ODAFF has also helped develop new agriculture trade relationships with more than 10 countries.
“I’m fortunate to work with an amazing team at ODAFF,” Arthur said. “We are eager to build off all the accomplishments we’ve made over the last four years.”
