Changing Political Landscape

Changing Political Landscape. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Fruit Grower Report.

Nancy Foster with U.S. Apple as been taking a look at how some things from the election have changed some of the landscape for the tree fruit industry.

FOSTER: There’s a fundamental disagreement over the role of government. And it really gets to the differences of the parties. Republicans are strongly opposed to any tax increases. They really want more spending cuts in federal programs to bring down the deficit. Or is the direction as the Democrats want. They want to increase taxes on higher income earners with fewer cuts in programs and that’s a gross generalization but that’s sort of the difference and philosophy between the parties.

She mentions that as a way of setting the table for for future hope of programs that U.S. Apple supports.

FOSTER: We very, very strongly work in support of the Market Access Program which is $200-million dollars in funding every year and the Washington Apple Commission receives a sizable amount from that program and helps promote and open your overseas exports. You all export 95% of the apples in this country and roughly 1 out of 4 apples are exported if you look at total production so exports are really critical to our returns.

And she looks at how Congress worked.

FOSTER: So last year we played a game of defense on Capital Hill. It was a very conservative Congress. Enforcement only became sort of the mantra. We had a poor economy. Unemployment was getting better but still not great and it’s very hard to look at a solution to labor when people say well why don’t these unemployed just come and take these jobs. We all know the answer.

That’s today’s Fruit Grower Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.