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ASA
Commends President Bush on His Nomination of New USDA Secretary
December
2, 2004 . . . St.
Louis, Missouri . . . The American Soybean Association (ASA) today
commends President George W. Bush on his nomination of Governor Mike
Johanns (R-NE) for Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA). Johanns will succeed outgoing USDA Secretary Ann Veneman.
“The
ASA welcomes Governor Johanns’ nomination as the next Secretary of
Agriculture and looks forward to working with him on important soybean
issues, including biodiesel, trade and soybean rust,” said ASA
President Neal Bredehoeft. “Governor Johanns has a strong record on
trade promotion and has been a tireless proponent of biofuels in
Nebraska.”
Governor
Johanns was elected in 1998 and re-elected in 2002.
His agricultural priorities have been trade, tax relief and
biofuels. During his two terms as Nebraska’s top executive, Governor
Johanns led a number of overseas trade missions to promote Nebraska’s
agricultural products.
“U.S.
agriculture in general, and our soybean industry in particular, face
several major challenges and opportunities,” Bredehoeft said.
“Soybean rust has now established a foothold in the U.S. and is
expected to spread before next year’s crop. Trade negotiations must
continue to improve access for U.S. soybeans. And with enactment of a
new tax incentive, we have a golden opportunity to build a vibrant
biodiesel industry in the U.S. We look forward to Governor Johanns’
leadership on these and other priorities,” Bredehoeft concluded.
For more
information contact:
Neal Bredehoeft, ASA
President, 660/674-2442, nbredehoeft@almanet.net
Bob Callanan, ASA Communications Director, 314/576-1770, bcallanan@soy.org
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