South Dakota Farmers Union officials are pleased with the overall results of the 2017 state legislative session, especially regarding agriculture. Farmers Union Legislative Specialist Matt Sibley says one of their big wins was getting passage of the buffer bill.

He says another victory was getting funding approved for the Animal Disease Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at South Dakota State University. Sibley says they were pleased the funding didn’t result in a large burden on agriculture.

Sibley says one disappointment was not being able to get a state-wide country of origin labeling measure passed. However, he says they’re not giving up and will bring it back next session. Sibley says misunderstanding of the issue led to its defeat this year.

Sibley says another measure they’ll try to get passed next year is changing the valuation of ag land from its ability to produce income to actual use.