Agricultural News
Back from D.C., Secretary Blayne Arthur Stayed Busy Selling Oklahoma Agriculture
Fri, 10 Dec 2021 12:20:46 CST
Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur just got back from her trip to Washington D.C. The trip was an opportunity to visit with USDA officials, agricultural organizations and a few embassies. She told Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Director Ron Hays that JanLee Rowlett, deputy commissioner for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, accompanied her.
"I was glad to have a chance to go to D.C.," Arthur said. "We had several meetings with USDA and our counterparts there."
African Swine Fever took up a large part of conversations with USDA officials, Arthur said. Though ASF has not been detected in the contiguous U.S., cases were reported in the Dominican Republic whose shoreline is just 70 miles from Puerto Rico.
"I also had several meetings with the foreign agriculture service," Arthur said. "A big part of what we are trying to do is get more of our Oklahoma products into international markets. Those discussions were very good."
Additionally, Arthur met with Food Safety Inspection Service staff members about the meat processing sector. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how delicate the U.S. meat supply chain is. In response, ODAFF, under Arthur's leadership, has made moved to increase the state's processing capacity.
"Some good opportunities, which will be beneficial for Oklahoma, are coming out of those discussions," Arthur said. "Specifically, our discussions with FSIS (focused) on collaborating. If we do not have the (federal) inspection capacity, then making that jump from state-inspected to federally-inspected does not make sense for our plants."
Without a USDA seal of inspection, processed products cannot be sold in other states or countries. She said the goal is to see expansion in Oklahoma's small and medium-sized facilities.
Working directly for beef cattle producers in Oklahoma, Arthur met with four embassy officials to discuss getting more Oklahoma beef products into international markets.
"We visited with the ambassador himself at the (European Union)," Arthur said. "(We also) had discussions at the (Embassy of Israel to the United States), the (Embassy of India) and the (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States)."
Arthur said people from those countries are scheduled to visit Oklahoma soon.
Staying busy, Arthur also visited with National Pork Producers Council members and National Cattlemen's Beef Association members while in Washington D.C. She said they spoke about promoting products in-state and abroad.
"You never want to count your chickens before they hatch, but we had some really good discussions," Arthur said.
She said a part of her job is to promote Oklahoma's farmers and ranchers and what they produce. One of the best ways to show that off is to treat folks to a visit.
Hit the LISTEN BAR below to hear Ron Hays and Blayne Arthur talk about her recent visit to Washington D.C. on behalf of Oklahoma.
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