Richard Lochhead has left his post as cabinet secretary for Scottish rural affairs.
Fergus Ewing, member of the Scottish parliament for Inverness and Nairn, is the new cabinet secretary for rural affairs and connectivity in Scotland, following the post-election reshuffle.
Announcing the reshuffle, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said the emphasis of her new government was on the economy.
Mr Lochhead has occupied the post for the past nine years.
A member of the Scottish Parliament for Moray, he has written to Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon to indicate his intention to stand down.
In one of her first acts as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon accepted the Moray MSP’s resignation from her government.
Mr Lochhead had faced sustained criticism over his handling of a £178m IT bungle which led to millions of pounds of subsidy payments to farmers being delayed.
Opposition parties had demanded Mr Lochhead be sacked from Ms Sturgeon’s new cabinet over the fiasco.
But last night the first minister defended his record, saying he left a "rich and enduring legacy of achievement".
Mr Lochhead, who was first elected to parliament in 1999, said he was "very proud" of his time in government and would "take away many precious memories".
