NASDA ANNUAL MEETING PREVIEW
News Date September 15, 2009
ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS & POLICY EXPERTS TO ADDRESS NASDA MEETING
NASDA members will have the opportunity to meet and hear from administration officials and policy experts during their upcoming Annual Meeting being held September 16-21 in Montgomery, Alabama.
USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan will address the plenary session on September 18 to discuss the Administration’s goals and priorities for agriculture. Other featured speakers include Monty Bain, Southeast Regional Cotton Board; Berrye Worsham, President and CEO of Cotton Incorporated; and Jerry Steiner, Executive Vice President, Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Monsanto. Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox has been invited as the keynote speaker during the September 18 luncheon.
POLICY COMMITTEES PLAN ACTIVE AGENDAS
NASDA’s policy committees and task forces are planning to address key topics on food safety, renewable energy, environmental regulations, specialty crops, rural development, and other issues when state agriculture leaders hold their annual meeting this week.
The Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee, chaired by North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, will meet with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 19. The committee plans to discuss a number of issues including food safety, interstate meat shipment, and nutrition programs.
The Marketing and International Trade Committee, chaired by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, will meet on September 19. USDA’s Associate Administrator for Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) will offer an update on the US trade agenda, focusing on the expectations for free trade agreements. Patrick Ford of Ford’s Gourmet Foods will discuss the benefits of the MAP branded program. Members will also be updated on the Mexican trucking situation.
The Animal and Plant Industries Committee meeting will be chaired by Nebraska Commissioner Greg Ibach and Vice-Chair of the committee Dr. Lester Spell, Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner. It meets on September 20, with much of the agenda focusing on APHIS issues. Cindy Smith, APHIS Administrator, will be on hand to provide key priorities and issues of interest. Dr. John Clifford will discuss Vision 2015 and its relationship to existing animal diseases and national traceability. Bill Hawks of AgWorks Solutions will be on hand to discuss a new irradiation facility in Gulfport, MS.
NASDA’s Natural Resources and Pesticide Management Committee will address regulatory and legislative issues dealing with NPDES permits for pesticide applications, rangeland management, and methyl bromide. Utah Agriculture Commissioner Leonard Blackham is Chairman of the panel and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey serves as Vice Chairman.
The Rural Development and Financial Security Committee, led by Oklahoma Agriculture Commissioner Terry Peach, anticipates an active agenda. Opening the discussion will be USDA Deputy Undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services (FSAS) Michael Scuse, a former NASDA vice president and Delaware Secretary of Agriculture. To continue the critical discussion, Chris Beyerhelm and Brandon Willis, both of the Farm Service Agency, will provide details on economic issues facing farmers and producers. Beyerhelm will focus on the current credit situation in rural America, while Willis will pay particular attention to the 2008 Farm Bill disaster programs, which are now in the process of implementation. Following the USDA speakers, Commissioner Leonard Blackham of Utah will present the recently-established working group’s “Meat the Need” proposal to address the crisis in our nation’s protein sectors.
The Energy Task Force will be conducting its inaugural meeting to address critical energy-related issues currently facing agriculture. Former NASDA President Nathan Rudgers, currently serving on the 25x’25 steering committee, will speak on a multitude of issues, including climate change legislation, renewable fuels regulations, and other energy concerns on the farm and for rural America. The Task Force is led by Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gene Hugoson.
The Biotechnology Task Force will hear an update from Michael Gregoire, Deputy Administrator of APHIS, on current issues at Biotechnology Regulatory Services. The task force will also focus on animal biotechnology.
On September 18 the Tobacco Task Force will convene with a legislative update from Chairman Troxler. The task force will also review current policy items and discuss concerns regarding leaf moisture testing.
The Specialty Crops Task Force, chaired by California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura, will meet with Ms. Trista Etzig, project manager for USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) Fruit and Vegetable program. She will provide an update on the Specialty Crops Block Grant Program. (Contact: Bob Ehart, Amy Mann, Nathan Bowen, or David Hickey)