SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The newly appointed director of the state Agriculture Department said the Illinois State Fairgrounds needs repairs and a long-term strategy to attract users year-round.

Gov. Bruce Rauner on Jan. 16 named Philip Nelson to head the Department of Agriculture. Nelson is a longtime president of the Illinois Farm Bureau.

Nelson told The (Springfield) State Journal-Register that the fairgrounds in Springfield and the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in southern Illinois need to be modernized. Nelson said repairs to buildings are an immediate need. He said the state also needs to a plan for five or 10 years from now.