The American Trucking Associations' Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference, the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, and North Dakota State University will sponsor the “National Summit on Agricultural and Food Truck Transport for the Future” April 25-26 at the Holiday Inn, Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Michael Johanns will give the keynote opening address. Other speakers include U.S. Agriculture Undersecretary Tom Dorr; Greg Webb, vice president, Archer Daniels Midland; Roger Johnson, president, National Association of State Departments of Agriculture; and Sens. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Richard Lugar of Indiana.

Developing legislative and policy initiatives in agriculture and food trucking for possible inclusion in the 2007 farm bill and other appropriate federal legislation will be key focal points of the summit.

The summit will examine the impact of farm and energy policy changes on domestic agricultural production and processing; the ability of trucking to meet increasing demands from agricultural shippers and the food industry; and the influence of energy costs and issues of the environment on the trucking industry.

For summit updates and registration information visit: www.agandfoodtrucking.org, or contact Fletcher Hall, AFTC executive director, at (703) 838-7999.