ASTA Encouraged by Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force Report

On January 8, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue presented the findings of the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity to President Trump at the 2018 American Farm Bureau Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. On April 25, 2017, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the task force “to ensure the informed exercise of regulatory authority that impacts agriculture and rural communities.”  As Secretary of Agriculture, Perdue served as the task force’s chairman and identified over 100 recommendations to help improve life in rural America. The recommendations centered around these five areas: E-Connectivity, Quality of Life, Rural Workforce, Technology, and Economic Development. The full report is available here.

“We’re pleased that the Trump Administration recognizes the critical importance of U.S. agriculture and the rural economy,” said ASTA President & CEO Andy LaVigne. “Under the strong leadership of Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Task Force is taking positive steps to identify and address some of the key challenges faced by rural America. We’re especially encouraged by the Task Force’s focus on technological innovation. The seed industry is built on a long history of innovation; and continued innovation is paramount to the future of agriculture, and our quality of life.”

Read LaVigne’s full statement here.