Missouri’s new agriculture director thinks the Missourians need to know his agency is not just about farming.
Dr. John Hagler was Governor Nixon’s agricultural advisor during last year’s campaign. He raises horses in Dent County.
He says the department make sure it has resources to respond to any bio-security or agro-security issue.
He also says the department must make sure Missouri’s livestock is safe for export as well as home consumption.
Hagler calls the relationship between his department and the natural resources department one of the most important in state government because DNR’s regulations directly affect agriculture business development.
But Hagler says the agriculture department touches Missourians in many ways they don’t realize…
He says the division of weights and measures, for instance, makes sure that a gallon of gas is really a gallon of gas…and more. He says the department makes sure a pound of steak at the grocery store is a pound of steak, that it also checks taxicab meters, and various scanners in various places.
Hagler’s background includes development work at Missouri University of Science and Technology, and at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. He also has experience dealing with the legislature. He’s a former chief of staff for the Speaker of the House
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