PIERRE, S.D. (KELO AM) "Fantastic" is the joyful reaction of South Dakota Agriculture Secretary Mike Jaspers to Sonny Perdue finally being confirmed as U.S. Agriculture Secretary.
"The fact that the national election was almost 6 months ago and we finally have a Secretary of Ag... fantastic to me that he's finally on board here," says Jaspers on KELO Radio's It's Your Agri-Business with Bill Zortman.
Jaspers says the big issues facing Perdue include labor force, immigration policy, international trade and the ethanol industry. He's hoping that the former Georgia Governor understands ethanol and the special needs of South Dakota producers.
"All of us, I think if we have any hesitation about a Secretary of Ag from the south is do they really understand corn and the issues that we have in the upper midwest,"
Jaspers says he has no meetings scheduled yet with Perdue, but jokes that Perdue needs to stay at home and get a little bit of work done in the office, being four or five months behind.