MIKE STRAIN: After nearly 30 years of one man at the top of this powerful and far-reaching state bureaucracy, it's time for a change. State Rep. Mike Strain, R-Covington, a veterinarian and dairy farmer who consistently has championed agricultural issues, is the best choice for a new commissioner.

With dwindling numbers of individually owned farms, Rep. Strain sponsored tax breaks to farmers from pharmaceuticals for livestock to the purchase of propane. With a nationwide shortage of large animal veterinarians, he advocated a student loan program for veterinary students who would commit to practicing in rural areas.

Strain is a supporter of a value-added approach to increase profits for farming. But where the incumbent struck off on a controversial construction of a sugar mill by shuttling in department employees, as construction workers, Strain would have sought to entice private investors with the aid of low-interest loans from a Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority.

In an age of global stresses on U.S. agriculture and timber industries, as well as the threat of terroristic tampering with the importation of produce, it's important to strengthen the state's ability to grow and market its agricultural products. Strain appears to have both the passion and the expertise to meet the challenges.

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