What We Do
The Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry is the voice of the number one industry in Virginia. The agriculture and forestry industries annually contribute over $79 billion to the Commonwealth's economy and provide 10.3% of jobs in Virginia.
The Secretary oversees and provides policy guidance to two agencies- the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Virginia Department of Forestry. In addition to the agencies, the Secretary oversees the Virginia Agricultural Council and the Virginia Marine Products Board.
Latest News 
Governor Bob McDonnell today announced that the first ever direct export of Virginia Holstein bulls to Russia has been completed. Vistar Farms of Mechanicsville, working in partnership with Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) international marketing staff, arranged the export shipment to the Russian port city of Novorossiysk. Financial details of the initial sale were private, but the export deal is significant as it marks Virginia's entry into Russia's growing market for cattle and genetics imports.
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This is always a very special night, when the leaders of all three branches of government are gathered in a building designed by Thomas Jefferson, from which, for centuries, ideas promoting liberty and opportunity have sprung.
I want to congratulate all of the newly elected members of the General Assembly and the new leaders of each caucus. Thank you for your service to Virginia and her people.
Over these past two years we have shown that while we hail from diverse regions, align with different political parties and subscribe to competing philosophies, we can still come together to make progress on the issues important to our eight million people.
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