Guest Blogger: Drew DeBerry, Deputy Agriculture Commissioner
On behalf of Commissioner Todd Staples this week, I am proud to be in Salt Lake City representing Texas at the annual National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) meeting.
Each year, NASDA brings together the heads of our nation’s agricultural agencies to present priorities important to their respective communities. Those priorities are then presented as action items with the intent of working collectively to bolster the nation’s agriculture industry.
This year, Commissioner Staples brought action items on the the following four initiatives to the table on behalf of Texas agriculture: jobs and the economy; hay assistance; endangered species reform; and border security. These four resolutions were unanimously supported today by members of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA), and will now be considered by various committees within NASDA and voted on by all states on Monday.
Texas is fighting through the one of the worst droughts on record with agricultural losses already reaching $5.2 billion. The extreme heat has also fueled wildfires that have scorched more than 3 million acres, exacerbating the need to expedite hay delivery to those in need, which is why I’m pleased to see Commissioner Staples’ hay assistance resolution moving forward.
Also of great concern to Texans is the increasing violence against our citizens and agricultural producers at the hands of Mexican drug cartels. At NASDA, we introduced a resolution focused on securing our border, ending illegal immigration and urging a reform of labor programs to provide a documented and reliable workforce.
Another initiative that won support aims to strengthen our economy through passage of pending free trade agreements and stabilization of the uncertain regulatory environment that stands in the way of job creation.
Finally, Texas remains committed to striking a balance between conservation and the rights of private property owners. SASDA members enthusiastically joined Texas in proposing a comprehensive overhaul to the sprawling Endangered Species Act - to bring sound science guidelines to the table.
Besides being a forum for the advancement of agriculture, NASDA also reminds me how blessed we all are to have leaders throughout our country working collaboratively to strengthen agriculture for the benefit of all Americans.
Showing posts with label NASDA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASDA. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Texas Delegation Speaks Up on Capitol Hill
Commissioner Staples speaks with Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco
I met with nearly a dozen of our Texas Congressional delegation, including Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn. Along with visiting with many of our senior members of our House delegation, I talked with Representatives Bill Flores and Francisco “Quico” Canseco who are experiencing their first session. Topics of conversation ranged from the Environmental Protection Agency’s overbearing greenhouse gas regulations to the pending and much-needed free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.
Not surprisingly, my Texas colleagues also were particularly impassioned about the ongoing discussions regarding a cross-border trucking resolution with Mexico and the dire need for federal enforcement to help secure our borders and protect the families of our farmers and ranchers who live under the constant threat of violence from Mexican drug cartels.
Obviously, these kinds of discussions and debates tend to draw lines in the sand between Texas and Washington -- which is exactly why NASDA is so important. By uniting and rallying support for our vital Texas and U.S. agriculture industries, we can speak louder and clearer to our leaders in Washington on behalf of consumers, farmers and ranchers. Let’s hope they listen.
I know our Texas Congressional delegation is listening and I appreciate them taking the time to visit with me. I’d like to thank my NASDA colleagues for joining me this week in Washington to speak up on these important issues. Together we will be heard.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Texas Trading Partners Await Response from D.C.
In a show of support to expand Texas and U.S. exports while enhancing global free trade and goodwill, two action items I introduced yesterday at the Marketing & International Trade Forum during the annual National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) conference in Washington D.C. were adopted. This is encouraging news as these items move toward a final vote on Thursday.
At stake are policies that would greatly improve U.S. and Texas trade relations with Mexico, South Korea, Colombia and Panama. In the case of Mexico, we hope to improve Mexican trucking safety standards while easing the mutual passage of exports between the United States and our neighbor south of the border. In doing so, we can abolish outdated retaliatory Mexican tariffs that currently penalize American exports. It only makes sense to re-establish harmonious cross-border trucking relations with one of our closest neighbors – especially when you consider this was a commitment the U.S. made in the 1990s. And the recent talk among NASDA representatives seems to indicate a majority is in agreement that the administration and Congress should move promptly toward this resolution.
The same seems to be true with regard to South Korea, Colombia and Panama who are waiting with welcome arms to embrace more quality U.S. and Texas products. A NASDA representative from South Korea went so far yesterday as to call American farmers the most productive, proficient and profitable in the world. An endorsement like that sounds like an opportunity to me, and as demand for American exports increases in South Korea, Colombia and Panama, I urge our administration and Congress to seize these opportunities on behalf of U.S. and Texas farmers, as well as our nation’s economy. The negotiating work has already been done, and our economy supports opening these markets to our product. Why should Washington delay this progress?
At stake are policies that would greatly improve U.S. and Texas trade relations with Mexico, South Korea, Colombia and Panama. In the case of Mexico, we hope to improve Mexican trucking safety standards while easing the mutual passage of exports between the United States and our neighbor south of the border. In doing so, we can abolish outdated retaliatory Mexican tariffs that currently penalize American exports. It only makes sense to re-establish harmonious cross-border trucking relations with one of our closest neighbors – especially when you consider this was a commitment the U.S. made in the 1990s. And the recent talk among NASDA representatives seems to indicate a majority is in agreement that the administration and Congress should move promptly toward this resolution.
The same seems to be true with regard to South Korea, Colombia and Panama who are waiting with welcome arms to embrace more quality U.S. and Texas products. A NASDA representative from South Korea went so far yesterday as to call American farmers the most productive, proficient and profitable in the world. An endorsement like that sounds like an opportunity to me, and as demand for American exports increases in South Korea, Colombia and Panama, I urge our administration and Congress to seize these opportunities on behalf of U.S. and Texas farmers, as well as our nation’s economy. The negotiating work has already been done, and our economy supports opening these markets to our product. Why should Washington delay this progress?
With so much at stake in Thursday’s vote, I’m encouraged to see my fellow NASDA representatives working together to create opportunities for a brighter future for Texas and U.S. exports. Let’s hope our federal government will join us in doing the same.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Telling the Texas Story in D.C.
I flew into Washington Dulles International Airport yesterday to begin a busy week working with our nation’s leaders on a wide range of issues from environmental regulation to international trade. My message will be shared with our Texas Congressional delegation and my counterparts from across the country at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).
It makes me proud to serve the interests of Texas on the national stage. As a leading force in U.S. agriculture, Texas is a major player in shaping domestic and foreign policies that will impact not only farmers and ranchers, but also consumers who rely on their products to feed, cloth and shelter their families.
One topic of great debate at NASDA and on Capitol Hill is the influence of federal policies on the environment and our Texas border. From my perspective, the federal government is meddling too much in the former and not doing enough to secure the latter.
Maybe the federal government should reorganize its priorities to focus less on environmental overreach and more on citizen protective outreach. Texans deserve it, and I plan to fight for it at NASDA this week. Look for more on my efforts to limit environmental regulation and expand international trade as the week wears on.
It makes me proud to serve the interests of Texas on the national stage. As a leading force in U.S. agriculture, Texas is a major player in shaping domestic and foreign policies that will impact not only farmers and ranchers, but also consumers who rely on their products to feed, cloth and shelter their families.
One topic of great debate at NASDA and on Capitol Hill is the influence of federal policies on the environment and our Texas border. From my perspective, the federal government is meddling too much in the former and not doing enough to secure the latter.
Maybe the federal government should reorganize its priorities to focus less on environmental overreach and more on citizen protective outreach. Texans deserve it, and I plan to fight for it at NASDA this week. Look for more on my efforts to limit environmental regulation and expand international trade as the week wears on.
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