New Administration and Trade Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. The country will be shifting gears Monday when the new Trump administration takes over, and the ag industry will be watching very closely.CarrieAnn Arias, President at Pear Bureau Northwest, says she has worries, but will wait and see what actually happens …
ARIAS … “I think that we’re not supposed to be political, right? We’re a 501-C-3. I can do everything but the ask, which is hard for me because I’m used to being in D.C. and back home in Sacramento actually going in. I think for us, we have to be in front of this.”
With regards to the new Ag Secretary, Arias says she’ll be patient …
ARIAS … “I was hoping for a Secretary of Ag candidate that was a specialty crop expert. We seem to always get somebody that has a subsidized commodity as their background and so that was, I was disappointed. It’s also somebody that wasn’t on the list and somebody I don’t know which I was very disappointed because that original list that came out, I was like, oh my gosh, I know most of the people on it.”
But Arias says ag groups need to be active NOW …
ARIAS … “I have to say that I think if we get in front of this and we make it really clear that agriculture is different because we export a lot. Most other manufactured or products in the Unites States stay here. We don’t send as much out as we do food.”
Tune in tomorrow for more from Arias on why trade is so important for pears and other specialty crops.