If anyone had any doubts about the attitude of the state’s Department of Agriculture, which has been charged in recent years with key roles in regulating such issues as field-burning and dairy odor, Director Pat Takasugi put them to rest today as he concluded his annual budget presentation to lawmakers:

“I feel that the role of the department is to support our industry in the state, not to put our industry out of business,” Takasugi told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. “We still feel education first, regulation second is a good one-two. … Bottom line is if we can’t help Idaho producers compete in the world market, then we’re not doing our job.”

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