At the 2023 National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays caught up with the Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture, Blayne Arthur, to talk about the award she will be receiving at the convention and the state of agriculture in Oklahoma.
Arthur is also the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. Referring to the convention, Arthur said the impact of the event is difficult to describe to someone who has not attended in person.
“It is certainly impressive to see all of the students, and we are very proud to see all of the Oklahoma students so well represented here,” Arthur said.
Arthur will be receiving the Honorary American FFA Degree along with a few other Oklahomans.
“Of all the things that are very near and dear to me, FFA would be at the top of the list,” Arthur said.
Regarding the state of agriculture in Oklahoma, Arthur said many producers are excited about having better hay production this year compared to last year.
“Hopeful that we will have some good moisture going into the winter and that wheat will come in like we want it to and that next year will be a little smoother than some of the bumps in ’23,” Arthur said.
In her travels around the state, Arthur said it was nice to see hay rolled up across the state.
“That piece is much better, and cattle prices are still up pretty good, which is great, but we still have to remember that inputs are higher than they have ever been,” Arthur said.
Looking into the year ahead, Arthur talked about some of her priorities. One of those, she added, is workforce development.
“We acknowledge that is a tough issue for a whole lot of reasons when we talk about policy development,” Arthur said.
