Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.”
This week, Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda recap the seventh annual Ag Development Forum and discuss the winter meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
The forum drew about 300 people to the State Fairgrounds on Feb. 2 to hear about current topics in agriculture and also the commissioner’s annual State of Agriculture address.
Commissioner Troxler says he is optimistic that 2012 will be a better year for farmers, who suffered from drought and hurricanes in 2011.
On the heels of the forum, the commissioner was traveling to Washington, D.C., for the winter meeting of NASDA. While in Washington, the commissioner was scheduled to meet with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the proposed consolidation of National Agricultural Statistics Service offices. If implemented, the proposal would severely hamper North Carolina’s ability to collect reliable agricultural data, Troxler says.
Other topics on NASDA’s radar include reforming the federal H-2A guest worker program and water policy.
Click below to listen to Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda discuss Today’s Topic.
[Audio:http://info.ncagr.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/Troxler_2-7.mp3 |titles=Today’s Topic for Feb. 7]
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