Polling Frustrations in Ag
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. A recent poll found many farmers have been trying to send distress signals to Washington D.C. in
hopes of getting some help.
Michael Amato, founder of Amato Advisors, says the results show 78% of farmers say economics and the cost of operations are the biggest challenge today, but a bigger challenge might be the fact that little is getting done …
AMATO … “I would absolutely agree with that. I think farmers and producers are very pragmatic people, and they want their representation in Washington, D.C., to reflect that. And right now, there's a big gap between working in a bipartisan way to come to the table and get solutions for producers.”
But now, Amato says there’s dissatisfaction with the folks they sent to Washington D.C. …
AMATO … “But I will also say that there is dissatisfaction with the folks that they sent to Washington right now. We asked, ‘Who do you point the finger at for the current challenges you face on the farm?’ 25 percent, and this was the highest-ranked option, said that President Trump is not delivering for producers right now.”
And that, Amato says is frustrating …
AMATO … “And I think that's telling us when we think about the high rate of farm bankruptcies happening across the country, the commodity market volatility that they're experiencing, there's real economic distress happening. I think people want to be able to have strong businesses that can deliver and feed America, and I think that they're being faced with challenges right now based on what's happening in Washington, D.C.”
Again, that’s Michael Amato of Amato Advisors.
