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| Nearly half of all U.S. farms are not profitable. (Photo by Matthew Putney, DTN) |
A bipartisan group of agricultural leaders representing nearly all sectors of the industry sent a letter to congressional agriculture leaders outlining how current farmer distress is so extreme that, if left unaddressed, the country risks a "widespread collapse of American agriculture."
The missive identifies the primary causes of the current farm crisis and urges Congress to begin passing its recommended corrective actions immediately.
"The group charged that Trump administration policies 'have caused tremendous harm to U.S. agriculture' and are having long-term negative effects on the competitiveness of farmers and agriculture," report Jerry Hagstrom and Chris Clayton of Progressive Farmer.
The letter points out the stark realities that many American farmers face today: "Farmer bankruptcies have doubled, barely half of all farms will be profitable this year, and the U.S. is running a historic agriculture trade deficit. These metrics reflect a sharp reversal from record farm export surpluses and farm incomes experienced just a few years ago."
The letter cites multiple factors causing the crisis:
- Increased farm input costs driven by tariffs on fertilizer, farm chemicals and machinery parts
- Loss of export markets due to trade wars and withdrawal from trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership
- Weakening of international trade partnerships as traditional allies turn to other suppliers
- Disruptions to agricultural labor supply affecting dairy, fruit and produce, and meat processing
- Massive cuts to USDA staffing and agricultural research funding
- Reductions in foreign aid and domestic food programs
The group asked Congress to immediately take nine specific actions to begin restoring stability for American farmers, including exempting all farm inputs from tariffs, passing legislation for E15 ethanol, passing Trade Promotion Authority, completing review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and passing a new farm bill and farm labor reform.
A letter synopsis and a copy of the letter, including the names and positions of all 27 signatories, are found here.
from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/mO23TRe Agriculture leaders warn of possible 'widespread collapse of American agriculture' without significant changes - Entrepreneur Generations
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