Job one is helping industry

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.”