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Pork producers hope for swift trade resolutions

 

A pork industry leader says producers have a lot to gain from better trade deals, but retaliation makes it difficult to be optimistic.

“The concept here is to improve trade long-term and get better deals, very difficult to know what the end result is but we have to be able to take the lumps along the way, and this looks like it’s a significant lump here.”

Michigan Pork Producers Association President Bob Dykhuis  raises 18,000 sows in southwest Michigan and northwestern Indiana. He says he hopes the current trade disputes will come to a resolution.  “We’ve been through ugly times where it’s been painful.  Hopefully this isn’t one of those.”

Pork producer Harley Sietsema tells Brownfield he lost up to 25 dollars per head at the beginning of this week when China announced retaliatory tariffs on pork.  “Probably 23 to 25 percent of my pork needs to go off shore somewhere and if we can’t accomplish that, we’re in serious, serious trouble.”  Sietsema says the current trade disputes are challenging the ag community’s support of the President.

AUDIO: Interview with Harley Sietsema

Audio also courtesy of Ag Leaders of Michigan