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Pawlenty wants more done for expected bird flu outbreak Tuesday, April 18, 2006
By Ryan Wendland
WILLMAR, Minn. -- Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty says more must be done to prepare for the coming H5N1 virus.
"It could be a matter of weeks or months before we see (avian influenza) in the U.S.," Pawlenty said. "We have a good detection and prevention system, but it's not good enough."
Pawlenty said he is requesting more funds from the Legislature to deal with avian influenza.
Pawlenty covered a lot of ground during the recent Strategic Animal Ag Conference.
He is also garnering support for a dairy livestock investment tax credit that didn't survive the last legislative session.
Pawlenty said the tax credit would create a better environment for diary producers.
"I don't want to sit here and say we are going to relinquish our dairy industry to the rest of the country. That is crazy," Pawlenty said.
One of the difficulties for the agricultural industry in Minnesota is a growing disconnect between the urban population and farming in general. Most people who live in Minnesota don't have a personal connection to farming like past generations.
"The Metro is growing and there are large regional centers that are doing well, but when you get outside the regional centers, things don't look so good. Agriculture is the cornerstone of our state," Pawlenty said. "One in five jobs are related to agriculture and people don't understand that. They don't have that grandma or grandpa or uncle who lives on a farm to provide that informal education."
Livestock production represents 49 percent of Minnesota's agricultural economy. The poultry sector makes up 8 percent of the farm economy and turkey production is one of the fastest growing segments of the farm economy, Pawlenty said.
Diminished livestock production also negatively impacts grain markets. What worries Pawlenty more is the impact of lower livestock production on unemployment numbers.
"We have 200,000 jobs on the line when it comes to livestock agriculture," he said.
For livestock production to remain aggressive, Pawlenty said farmers will need to continue to change.
"We can not grab onto what is or what was and say we are going to hold onto this in the future because agriculture is changing so rapidly," Pawlenty said. "And I don't care what size you are, I'm Agnostic when it comes to size. Be small, be medium, be large, but you had better be competitive."
One of the obstacles producers face when attempting to maintain that competitive edge is the inability in some areas to expand or modernize their operations. Pawlenty said voices that speak out against livestock expansion can be overwhelming.
"I want siting decisions based on good science and not rumor," Pawlenty said. "To often the answer is no to modernization and expansion." |
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