U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack paid a visit to Missouri today Friday, where he held a town hall meeting in Sedalia with area farmers. From Jefferson City, Marshall Griffin reports:

Vilsack conducted the meeting as an open forum, taking questions and comments on any ag-related topic. More than one farmer asked about the cap-and-trade bill passed by the U.S. House earlier this year, expressing concern about how it would affect their fuel costs. Vilsack answered that there would be at least one benefit:

"In the first 7, 10 years of this effort, there should not be any increase in fertilizer costs as a result of this bill, because of the benefits that the industry will get from the bill."

Vilsack conceded that energy costs are likely to rise under cap-and-trade. But he added that the bill may include financial offsets to help farmers bear the higher costs. © Copyright 2012, KBIA