State has a seat in Farm Bill talks

Commissioner Richie Farmer

I was honored to be elected president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) at the conclusion of its annual conference in June in Nashville. Many of my peers in SASDA have served as agriculture commissioners of their respective states for a long time, so I was humbled to have been elected by people who have served the public for many years with great distinction.

As SASDA president for 2007-08, I will have the privilege of representing farmers in Kentucky and throughout the Southeast in discussions on the 2007 Farm Bill. I promise you that I will do everything possible to ensure the Farm Bill is fair and equitable to our farmers.  For example, current milk pricing policy provides little incentive for increasing production in milk deficit states in the Southeast, including Kentucky. We can and must do better for our dairy farm families. We should promote positive changes in Federal Milk Marketing Orders and milk pricing policy that will encourage increased production in Kentucky and throughout the Southeast. This will result in reduced transportation costs for providing supplemental milk and will also provide our dairy producers an improved return on investment.

I will push for farm policies that support “25 X ’25” – the goal of generating 25 percent of the nation’s energy from renewable resources by 2025. Kentucky’s biofuels industry is growing by leaps and bounds. Burning fuel from renewable sources cuts vehicle emissions, plus it reduces our country’s dependence on foreign sources of energy. At the same time, we must balance the needs of our biofuels industry with those of our livestock producers, who need to keep their production costs in line.

It’s also important to encourage sustainable practices in our forest products industry. The region’s abundant supply of hardwoods must be protected from disease and maintained for future generations. Kentucky’s wood industry adds $4.5 billion a year to the state’s economy and employs more than 30,000 people.

My service as SASDA president will enable me to raise awareness of the importance of agriculture and family farmers in all our lives. Farmers provide the food and fiber we all need and enjoy. But they also are the backbone of an industry that accounts for up to one-third of all the jobs in the state. I’m always proud to stand up for the men and women of agriculture who mean so much to all of us.

My last duty as SASDA president will be to host the association’s annual convention next year in Kentucky. I can’t wait to show my fellow state agriculture commissioners some of the very best that Kentucky has to offer. When they go home, they will understand why we’re Kentucky Proud.