President-elect Barack Obama plans to appoint former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary, according to the National Farmers Union (NFU).

NFU President Tom Buis said Gov. Vilsack is a great choice.

“I look forward to working with him,” Buis said.  “Being from Iowa, Gov. Vilsack has an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that exist in rural America.”

Buis said rural America is facing many challenges – “…the farm and rural economy have changed dramatically for the worst over the last few months as a result of the worldwide economic recession, the rules for the 2008 Farm Bill have not been finalized nor implemented, more people are seeking food assistance, and commodity prices have fallen dramatically while farmer input costs remain high.”

“While rural America faces many challenges, President-elect Obama has prioritized numerous opportunities, including reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil by advancing the development of renewable energy,” Buis said.  “Not only will this help our nation, it will help revitalize our rural communities. Wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal, cellulosic, will all be produced in rural America.

“President-elect Obama’s rural vision is right on target.”