Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig (NEGG) says one of the reasons he’s seeking re-election is to remind Iowans that agriculture has been one of the pillars of Iowa’s economy and will play an important role in its future.
Naig has been state ag secretary since March of 2018. His opponent in this year’s election is Democrat Chris Jones, who has called the race a referendum on water quality. During a speech yesterday (Wednesday) to a group of farmers from the Marshalltown area, Naig supplied this response.
Naig later told reporters the state approach to water quality issues should be science based.
Naig says 2018 was the first time Iowa lawmakers identified a dedicated funding source for water quality initiatives, but it wasn’t ramped until 2021 and 2022.
Naig says that program is providing grants to farmers in 28 counties for restoring pastures and he’d like to take the effort statewide to build up Iowa’s cattle herd. Naig made campaign stops yesterday (Wednesday) at farms near Nevada, Marshalltown and Coggin.
