For generations, agriculture has been North Missouri’s number one industry. As farming has evolved, producers continue to look for new and expanded markets so they can remain viable and profitable. Free trade plays a critical role in making this possible.
As a sixth-generation family farmer, I see the importance of free trade every day. It guarantees that the world is fed and our farmers here at home are able to make a living. Maintaining the viability of agriculture is critical to the success of our state, particularly where we live in North Missouri.
Common sense free trade deals help us maintain the viability of agriculture. Farming has an economic impact of 88 billion in the state of Missouri supporting nearly 956,500 jobs according to Americans for Farmers and Families. As a result, Missouri producers exported over 3 billion in total food and agriculture products in 2016. This doesn’t happen without the existence of common-sense free trade deals.
These common-sense trade deals ensure the viability of our Missouri economy. That’s why, this week, I wrote a letter to the United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer encouraging him to look for new opportunities to sell our goods outside of the United States.
This bipartisan letter was signed by every single Missouri Representative – on both sides of the aisle. In an era of partisanship, Missouri stands united to emphasize that free trade is critical to our economy.
President Trump has made strengthening our economy and increasing our global competitiveness a priority by putting America first. We must make sure that we negotiate fair deals with other countries to expand trade and greater wealth for all nations. When the United States grows, so does the world.
Countries around the world already greatly benefit from Missouri’s agricultural products. To ensure future prosperity, The United States should work diligently to increase our agricultural exports while making sure that we take action to safeguard American interests.
3 comments:
Half of Missouri soy beans go to China, think they will impose a tariff? Farm trade groups are concerned. Senators McCaskill and Blount have raised concerns, while Senate hopeful Hawley fully supports Trump's stance. Be careful what you wish for Missouri.
Sure, more exports of farm goods and then wonder why our rivers, creeks and streams run with high levels of pesticides. Think about how much water, from the ground or streams, will be used to irrigate these additional crops. More crops and more tillage of soil held in check on our land by grasses will now find their way into streams increasing the need for more treatment for downstream users. Maybe cut more forests down to increase tillable acres which will lessen the watershed preserving effect of trees causing less water getting into our aquifer which will increase the drawdown of water sources to rural areas and most cities. You idiots do not see the "cause and effect" of what you do because you will not listen to scientists that have spent years studying the effects of what some/most farming practices do to our resources. We make a little money, the farmer goes into debt for equipment, citizens lose clean/safe water and corporations that pay pennies to the farmer make a killing. Such miserable foresight is mainstay of big business and republicans paid for by big business to increase their coffers.
Well, you better hope these countries that you are going to export to believe in "America First" or they may just impose some of their own tariffs. By the time you ignorant fools finish removing protections from the land and getting rid of all of the environmental regulations, your grand corporate owners will have poisoned even more land, water and air. We are on the way to becoming the toxic pit that China is.
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