Ron de Yong, Director
Montana Department of Agriculture
Agriculture is Montana's No. 1 industry, and changes are occuring that bring new opportunities and challenges for Montana producers and rural communities. As a longtime student of economics and change in agriculture, I plan to work hard with family farmers and ranchers, entrepreneurs and agriculture-related industries to take advantage of the opportunities while minimizing the impacts of changes that adversely affect our industry.
Nearly three-fourths of cash receipts to Montana producers come from two sources, wheat and livestock, according to the latest state and county data from the Montana field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service. These are solid agricultural sectors, and demand for the commodities is increasing worldwide. It would be even better, however, if we could keep more of the value of beef and wheat in Montana, rather than losing so much of it to high transportation costs and food processors located outside our borders.
Entrepreneurs are leading the way to produce more food items such as flour, pasta, baked goods, organic products and Montana-branded beef within our state. Bio-products offer exciting possibilities and the prospect of new crop diversification. Clustering new development to, for example, feed oilseed or ethanol byproducts at nearby dairies and feedlots while growing those industries and adding value through food processing is just one idea that holds great potential in Montana. I intend to listen to producers' ideas and work with them to bring ideas to fruition.
Please contact me or any member of the Montana Department of Agriculture team:
| By Phone: (406) 444-3144 By E-mail: agr@mt.gov By Fax: (406) 444-5409 |
By Mail: Montana Department of Agriculture P.O. Box 200201 Helena, Montana 59620-0201 |
