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Former ag secretary says tariffs threaten key export markets

A former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture says many farmers are struggling financially due to federal trade policy.

Dan Glickman tells Brownfield, “U.S. agriculture is very dependent on exports. We grow much more than we consume, particularly in the row crops and livestock. And so we need those export markets and they’ve been threatened by presidential tariffs.”

He says Congress needs to have more authority on tariffs.

“Quite frankly the president has taken (tariffs) to places where I don’t think Congress ever intended. Of course, the courts have recently ruled against the White House on their tariffs. We’ll see how that plays out.”

Glickman says the administration has stepped up with bridge payments to help support farmers, but…

“Farmers don’t want to get a big chunk of their income every year from Uncle Sam. They want to get it from the marketplace.”

He says soybean exports have arguably been impacted the most by the president’s tariffs.