Vilsack on State of the Union Part 2
Vilsack On State of the Union Part Two. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.
It has been almost a week since the President delivered his State of the Union address. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack spent some time the day after the speech calling the media and giving his thumbs up on the address. Obama made a number of points that rural America is hanging on including the promise of more renewable fuel research and a doubling of exports. Vilsack talked about the pending free trade agreements and he says he feels confident those will be passed but no time frame was given.
VILSACK: The President travelling south to South America this year will provide further impetus for getting those agreements done and then multi-lateral discussions are taking place in the Trans-Pacific Partnership area of Southeast Asia, a tremendous opportunity there. Meanwhile USDA and the U.S. Trade Representatives office is working very hard to reduce barriers that exist to ag trade in other countries we’re currently doing business with, with this particular emphasis on some of our beef issues with some of our Asian partners.
He says they do expect another strong export year this year. Vilsack also talked a bit about food safety concerns
VILSACK: We continue to evolve and understand the science; it’s all part of this notion of out innovating the rest of the world. We learn more about what is healthy and what isn’t; what is safe and what is unsafe and we put that information to use in working with our food processing and our farmers and ranchers and make sure we can continue to guarantee mom’s and dad’s out there that when they put food on the table for their family it’s going to be safe.
Vilsack once again echoed the President’s call for moving into more renewable fuels.
VILSACK: It also helps us shore our band from an export market perspective and as we talk about markets the President also expressed the need for expansion of biofuels which we are certainly focused on in terms of making sure that it’s available in all areas of the country including the northwest. There’s a tremendous opportunity with woody biomass in the northwest that could be converted to renewable energy and fuel which we ought to be and are promoting.
And he says that will help in a number of ways.
VILSACK: That’s jobs in rural communities, that’s better bottom lines for farmers and forested landowners. At the same time the President is talking about making sure that rural areas are connected to the 21st century technology which is primarily broadband. That opens up tremendous opportunities for farmers, ranchers and small business owners in rural communities.
That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.
