Search for new Colorado ag commissioner under way

The Hickenlooper Administration said Friday it is searching for a replacement to lead the state Department of Agriculture following the retirement of Agriculture Commissioner John Salazar.

Salazar has indicated he will retire at the beginning of January. He has led the Department of Agriculture since 2011.

Under Salazar’s tenure, Colorado farmers and ranchers have enjoyed increasing exports of agricultural products and higher income.

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Colorado beef exports have risen 77 percent since 2009. Colorado farm revenue rose to $7.8 billion in 2012, up from $6 billion in 2007, according to the 2012 Agricultural Census.

“We helped Colorado producers double agriculture exports over 2009 levels and helped Colorado’s farmers and ranchers achieve record net farm incomes,” Salazar said in a statement.

Salazar was raised on a San Luis Valley farm, where he and his five siblings shared a bedroom and had no electricity or running water. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Adams State College after serving three years in the U.S. Army.