By Tom Nicolette
Senior Network Producer
From international trade and the farm bill to farm labor and immigration, the issues are many and complex in agriculture.
For U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, those challenges can lead to potential solutions that will benefit America’s farmers, ranchers, rural communities and consumers.
At the National Association of Farm Broadcasting convention held last month, Perdue discussed the top issues facing agriculture. Of those, he included the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the 2018 Farm Bill.
“The president is very concerned about the trade deficit resulting from manufacturing autos, auto parts and different things,” Perdue told the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) Radio Network. “Texas agriculture and producers have benefitted from the market to the South (Mexico), as well as other American producers. The president is a tough negotiator, but I think, ultimately, we’ll be successful in renewing the NAFTA relationship.”
Perdue noted officials from the three countries in the trade agreement—U.S., Canada and Mexico—are working to renegotiate the decades-old deal.
“(President Trump) understands how important the ag economy is to the American economy, and he is determined to get the American economy humming again,” Perdue said.
Perdue also discussed the 2018 Farm Bill, which has been the subject of House and Senate listening sessions across the country this year.
“I think they’re making a lot of progress on that. I think both the House and Senate have two great agricultural states there (Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas and Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas) that are chairing the (agriculture) committees to renew or reauthorize the farm bill,” he said.
Much progress was made in the 2014 Farm Bill, Perdue said, to provide a safety net for farmers with the exception of cotton, dairy and some specialty crops.
“There is a lot of momentum for cotton to go back into Title I. We are trying to support another ginning cost share program this year,” he said.
High on Perdue’s list also are the issues of farm labor and immigration.
“I think it is absolutely imperative that we have a legal guest worker program for agriculture. We want to work with Congress,” Perdue said.
Hear more of Perdue’s comments on the TFB Radio Network at www.texasfarmbureau.org/radio.