Trump Impact on Ag Pt 2
From the Ag Information Network, this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. A lot of unknowns out there when it comes to the Ag economy and when things will get better.
RaboBank Global Strategist, Stephen Nicholson says this administration is not afraid, as we’ve seen already, to plunge head-first into matters they see as problematic …
NICHOLSON … “And there’s a lot of pros and cons for having stuff out in the open versus not. But, I think, you know, in the Trump Administration you will see that policy discussion more in the open and not behind closed doors. And as I said, there’s good things and bad things about that.”
And with Republicans in the majority, Nicholson says the Farm Bill seems more likely, but …
NICHOLSON … “We need a Farm Bill. Let me say that up front. But you’re right, you now have a Republican Congress, particularly in the House, who is very skeptical of spending, and also very skeptical of SNAP spending. And if you divorce the SNAP spending from the Farm Bill, then you lose that rural-urban coalition, which has voted for Farm Bills, you know, for time in memorial.”
Letting Congress know what you need, Nicholson says is key …
NICHOLSON … “As I’ve encouraged with any farm group, you have to make sure your legislators know what you want. And it’s going to be a double-whammy this year. Not only do we need to make sure Congress or members of Congress know what we want as an agriculture industry, but we also have a brand-new Secretary of Agriculture who doesn’t know us, and we don’t know her. And so, we need to educate her as she needs to educate us about what’s her philosophy, what does she plan to do.”
Nicholson says expect to see a fairly contentious House, and not just between the two parties.
