New Agriculture Secretary nominated.

New Agriculture Secretary nominated--President Bush's nomination of Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns to be Secretary of the US Agriculture Department has received favorable nods from several farm groups, including the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). In addition to establishing incentives for business growth and job creation in rural Nebraska, Johanns is said to have an intimate understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing farmers, according to Bob Dickey, a NCGA Corn Board member and former Nebraska state legislator. Dickey said Johanns has been a strong advocate for agriculture during depressed commodity prices and severe drought, has placed emphasis on value-added crops and has led effective agricultural trade missions.