Chandler: Food Safety New Top Ag Priority of 2018

Now that the Hirst Decision has been addressed in Olympia, what is the top agriculture issue before Washington lawmakers.  If you ask Granger Republican Bruce Chandler, he says ensuring a safe food supply is tops on the list.  The Yakima Valley fruit grower told the Washington Ag Network looking ahead to 2018, he believes ensuring the Washington State Department of Agriculture has the needed people and funds must be a priority.

"Food safety is absolutely the most crucial priority for being able to market all of the commodities  that we grow here in the state, and I think making sure that it’s manageable but that it’s effective, so we can assure our customers that we have high quality food.”

Representative Chandler pointed to the late 2003 case of BSE in Central Washington as to the importance of checking food, and ensure a quality product.

“We just need to be prepared to respond immediately to any situation that comes up and minimize it to whatever degree is possible.”

Following that outbreak, China, Japan and South Korea stopped importing U.S. beef.  China only reopened it’s doors to U.S. beef in mid-2016.

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