Farm groups are hoping for progress on trade negotiations and regulatory changes that will help agriculture in 2020.
Farmers and ranchers are looking forward to the eventual “phase one” trade deal with China being signed this month, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). But it’s not the only priority on the national organization’s radar.
“We’re anticipating that EPA and Administrator Wheeler and his team are soon going to put the final signature on the new Clean Water Rule that will get us out of this fight we’ve been in for years,” AFBF Executive Vice President Dale Moore said. “We’ve certainly got to get U.S.-Mexico-Canadian Agreement finished up. We’re looking to the next phase of the discussions with Japan to expand on some of the gains we’ve made.”
Moore hopes recent negotiations have made progress in the tariff war with China.
“Our hope is that some of these changes that have been made on the tariff war with China will calm down a bit, and we’ll see that marketplace return and see more imports of U.S. goods by China that will help push those prices up,” he said.
Sustainability will continue to be a big topic of discussion when it comes to agriculture in 2020. Moore noted sustainability is a subject that AFBF will be talking about a lot in the new year.
“They certainly want us to be engaged, making sure that we are part of the discussion, look for ways that give them the opportunity to be partners in this process. Sustainability means that I’m making progress not only on the conservation front, on the environmental front, but also keep my farm going for that next generation. That’s one of the things that’s very important,” Moore said.
Many agricultural and rural America topics will be highlighted and discussed during AFBF’s Annual Convention and Trade Show set for Jan. 17-22 in Austin. Click here for more information on the event.