Ag secretary answers DesJarlais queries

Representative DesJarlais had questions about the Tennessee Walking-Horse industry and the poultry industry -- both relevant to Bedford County -- when Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue testified Wednesday before a House Agriculture Committee hearing entitled "State of the Rural Economy." DesJarlais, who represents Tennessee's rural 4th District, is a returning member of the committee. His questioning focused on the walking horse industry, worth approximately $3.2 billion, as well as on an avian flu outbreak that recently struck Middle Tennessee chicken farms, and trade deals to expand international markets for U.S. beef.