District 34 State Senator Francis Thompson (D-Delhi) recently joined over 135 agriculture legislators at the 8th Annual Legislative Ag Chairs Meeting in San Diego, CA.

The invitation only event is the premier opportunity for agriculture legislators from the United States, Canada and Mexico to meet and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing agriculture.

“With the current national and global economic crisis, it is more important than ever that we as policy makers have the best information available to do what we can to assist our agriculture and forestry industry that is so important to Louisiana’s economy,” Sen. Thompson, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, said. “The annual meeting gives us the opportunity to exchange ideas and examine innovative initiatives to assist the agriculture industry and our rural communities.”

At the 2009 annual meeting, agriculture leaders focused on such issues as family farm viability, agriculture competitiveness, sustainable biofuels and innovative rural health care options. A special workshop centered on an overview of federal issues including implementation issues for the 2009 Farm Bill.

The National Ag Chairs Summit is sponsored by State Ag and Rural Leaders with support from the Council of State Governments, the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Rural Policy Research Institute.