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Ag leaders: ag at a turning point
A bipartisan group of former farm leaders, commodity group executives and USDA officials are warning Congress the U.S. farm economy is in serious trouble.
In a letter to the four top leaders of the agriculture committees, they say current government policies could lead to a widespread collapse of American agriculture. That includes higher farm costs for inputs from tariffs, lost export markets, farm labor shortages, cuts to USDA staff and policy limits on ethanol blends.
The group is asking lawmakers to remove or reduce tariffs, pass nationwide E15 ethanol legislation, approve a new farm bill, reform farm labor and restore funding for ag research and USDA staff.
The group says they plan to meet with farmers to better understand the crisis and lawmakers should, too.
Jonathan Coppess at the University of Illinois, former National Corn Growers Association CEO Jon Doggett, Past President of the National Milk Producers Federation Jim Mulhern and farmers from Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota and Illinois have signed the letter.
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