Parting Thoughts From Secretary Schafer
Posted: January 9, 2009
With only about 10 days left in office, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer spoke to reporters this week about the accomplishments of the Bush administration for American agriculture.
“This administration has ushered in a time of remarkable prosperity and growth in the agriculture economy,” said Schafer. “Strong commodity prices, rising export demand, and the rapid growth of renewable fuels industry in rural America have all played a part in this.”
Schafer noted in particular the importance of free trade agreements for agriculture. “Over the past eight years this administration has negotiated 17 new free trade agreements including three with Colombia, Korea and Panama that are still awaiting action by Congress,” he said. “In all, 11 new free trade agreements are now up and running and opening doors for America’s farmers and ranchers.”
Schafer has served for less than a year as the 29th secretary of agriculture and the third under President George W. Bush. You can read all of his remarks during a telephone press conference today here on the USDA website.
