A new administration likely means changes are coming on the regulation front for agriculture industries. Seed industry leaders say the new philosophies could be beneficial to their key issues.
American Seed Trade Association President and CEO Andy LaVigne talked with AgNet West about the presidential election results and what it means for the seed industry. “Well I think it will affect agriculture overall with the seed industry included. With a new administration, there’s obviously a massive change-over within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and all of the different political positions. They come in with a different philosophy in respect to business and how it’s regulated,” LaVigne said. “Our industry should see some positive things come out of it. Some of the issues we’ve been working on will hopefully garner a more friendly ear.”
One of those issues is seed-breeding and the rules the industry faces. LaVigne said the industry wants to make sure the new administration sees the benefits of the practice. “When we look at plant breeding, we look at that evolution that has been going on for generations, how we improve seed, how much more we know about seed, what makes the plant do what it does and what are the beneficial characteristics,” LaVigne said. “We want to make sure the administration looks at this from a positive standpoint. We want them to look at it from a standpoint that will enable innovation within the industry and not restrict it to just a few companies because it’s so highly regulated.”