Agriculture

Alaska is separated from the lower-48 by Canada. Access to Alaska is by boat, aircraft or through Canada. This geography places Alaska in the unenviable status of facing the prospect of having our supply lines to the United States and through Canada interrupted by war or natural disaster. Alaska would be affected by any major disaster event impacting the western United States. Much of our agricultural products come from the west.

Yet, Alaska has abundant farm land, innovative and committed farmers. What is needed to foster growth in this sector is the ability to expand their markets. This can be done by providing cheaper power and heat through a coherent and practical energy development policy. With cheaper power comes the economics for the private sector to provide the refrigeration facilities, canning plants and meat processing facilities needed to provide a market for Alaska’s farmers, thereby enabling them to expand production to feed Alaska year round, and to give the ability to ship excess production to other markets.

To accomplish this, my Administration will work to restore military local purchase for our dairy and agricultural products that once made Alaska’s agriculture the prominent industry in the Matanuska and Tanana Valleys. This can be justified because of Alaska’s separation from the U.S.

Cheap power and heat will provide the catalysts for refrigeration plants and canning plants for long term storage of grains, peas, beans and meat products. This private sector growth will provide new markets for our agricultural products.

One of my desires is to see that Grown in Alaska products are on the shelves and in the meat sections of our grocery stores in quantity. Alaska must develop its agricultural base to be able to weather a serious catastrophe that interrupts the supply lines to the lower-48.

Cheap power and heat are the key.

My Administration will be committed to building the all-Alaska natural gas pipeline ASAP to see that Alaska industry and agriculture will have the advantages provided by readily available abundant energy.