11/20/08 Ag Secretary Part 3

Ag Secretary Part 3. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Today we finish up with outgoing Ag Secretary Ed Schafer who was the keynote speaker at this years National Association of Farm Broadcasters convention. During his talk he has some advice for the President Elect. SCHAFER: I would encourage President Elect Obama to take a hard look at the record of success with agriculture tradeand not tear it down, but build upon it the strength that agriculture can bring to our exports, and in fact to the world. To deserve the support of all Americans, wherever they live, our safety net of farm programs must make wise and efficient use of taxpayers' dollars. And to withstand challenges for our trading partners, they need to be seen as market-based and not price-distorting. Schafer continued to say that the new administration needs to keep rural America in the forefront. SCHAFER: And our farm policies for the new administration must be seen as fair, both here in the United States for our taxpayers, but also from our trading partners abroad. Continued conservation, rural development, and renewable energy initiatives are all critical to the future of rural America, and they all depend on strong and broad-based public support for farm policy and farm programs. Not forgetting that we have just come down from the highest fuel prices in history. SCHAFER: The rapid growth in demand for renewable fuels has brought new jobs and new possibilities to rural America while also enhancing America's energy security. This industry has made remarkable progress in a short period of time, and yet it's still evolving and still changing. Today there is a broad bipartisan agreement that to meet the nation's future energy needs we must develop new policies, new biomass feedstocks, and new business models that go with them. The new farm bill provides $1 billion to help with that transition. Ultimately what changes are in store are yet to be seen but Schafer says he wishes them good luck. SCHAFER: Here again it's going to be up to the next president to decide whether we move forward in this arena or leave our past policies behind. President-elect Obama and my successor, whomever that is going to be, will have my sincere good wishes in dealing with these dilemmas. But it is in everyone's best interest that they find the right answers. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.