Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
Commissioner Troxler recently attended the annual meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Members voted to focus NASDA’s efforts for the 2012 farm bill on supporting the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, funding for the USDA Market Access Program, and consolidation of some federal programs within the Conservation Title and Plant Pest & Disease Management funding.
Troxler and his fellow agriculture commissioners and secretaries from across the country also prioritized other policy areas for NASDA to work on over the next year. These include pushing for reform of guest-worker programs. Troxler says a workable guest worker program will be necessary if states are going to have a dependable supply of farm workers.
Other NASDA priorities include educating farmers about the federal Food Safety Modernization Act and the Produce Safety Rule.
Also at the meeting, Commissioner Troxler was elected first vice president of NASDA, which puts him in line to become president of the organization next September.
Click below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss NASDA 2011.
[Audio:http://info.ncagr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_9-27.mp3 |titles=Today’s Topic for Sept. 27]
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