The Texas Department of Agriculture's main objective is to market and promote Texas agricultural grown and processed products. We do that through a program in the department called the Go Texan program.

Now the problem with this program is nobody knows anything about it other than the selected producers that are involved in it. The consumers on the street have no idea what Go Texan is. A problem that we have is identity. What I want to do as Agriculture Commissioner is develop domestic markets. Markets in Texas for Texas grown products. And I want to do that by informing and educating people on what the Go Texan program is, and what the logo is. What to look for when they go to the grocery store, or go to where ever they buy these products.

Another problem that we have with the current Go Texan program that in order for individuals or groups to use this program - they have to buy into the program.

I don't have a problem with a registration fee, I guess if you want to call it as such, but when they're asked to contribute money, or to put money into the program in order to get advertising out - then that's a problem.

Because this is a state agency paid for by property owners taxes and business taxes and that service should be funded through this agency. It should not be a requirement of a producer or group of producers to put money into the advertising part, or advertising program, incorporated within the Go Texan program in order to get advertising out. If that were the case, they could go to an ad agency and probably get a more comprehensive and detailed advertising program.

So that's one thing about Go Texan, or actually two things: the marketability and the recognition of the program by consumers. And the fact that we're going to go in there, we're going to change the program up to where all agricultural entities and industries will have this available to them as a marketing tool.