By Justin Walker
Communications Specialist
Trade continues to be a major topic of discussion in agriculture, and it’s easy to see why farmers and ranchers are concerned about it.
China. Canada. Mexico.
The United States is in the middle of negotiations, or trade disputes, with major trade markets across the globe.
Angela Hofmann, deputy director of Farmers for Free Trade, spoke about how farmers and ranchers can be involved in the trade conversations at Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) Summer Leadership Conference in Marble Falls on Wednesday, June 27.
“This is an opportunity to be actively engaged in what happens in terms of trade and what it means to agriculture,” Hofmann said in an interview the TFB Radio Network. “NAFTA—we are trying to get that modernized and fixed. We are trying to keep things calm. We have had a lot of trade disputes with China. Let’s make sure ag is not in the middle. And most importantly, let’s get back into the business of doing more trade negotiations, so we can sell more of our products overseas.”
Farmers for Free Trade is a 501(c)(4) non-profit devoted to supporting and expanding international trade opportunities for farmers and ranchers.
Hofman said there are three main concerns for Farmers for Free Trade, including the China dispute and negotiations with Canada and Mexico. But protecting intellectual property rights is also something they continue to focus on.
“Those are the important things,” she said. “There’s just a lot happening at one time, so we are just trying to keep things calm and help folks understand and navigate what’s happening while they are all in process.”
NAFTA renegotiations are important to Texas and the nation, Hoffman said.
“What we hear from farmers and ranchers is they would like to get things stabilized, particularly with NAFTA,” she said. “That is an agreement that needs to be modernized, but they have long-term contracts with our trading partners in Mexico and Canada. So there are some things that we still need to resolve.”
Hofman said it is crucial to have NAFTA modernized and implemented as soon as possible, and it’s important for farmers and ranchers to have their voices heard, Hofman said.
“Farmers and ranchers are the ones who are best at telling their stories,” she said. “The administration listens. The president listens. He cares about them. He’s working hard to fix things for them.”
Hofman encouraged farmers and ranchers to visit Farmers for Free Trade’s website. There, they can upload fifteen-second videos about what is happening in their markets and the cost of goods they are buying.
“Just tell your story, because that is what they want to hear,” she said.
Hofman admits that it can be difficult to follow trade discussions, but it’s crucial to stay as up-to-date as possible.
“Trade is huge for Texas—whether you are exporting a billion-dollars-worth of goods to China or your most important markets of Mexico and Canada,” she said. “Trade matters to Texas.”
For more information on Farmers for Free Trade and how to get involved, click here.