We are in the midst of harvesting season in Ohio, and farmers are getting crops ready for export. A Secretary from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an Ohio Congressman held a roundtable with farmers Friday to discuss the current status of agricultural trade and its impact on West Central Ohio.
Under Secretary Ted McKinney focuses on trade and foreign affairs within the USDA. He discussed the United States' status of trade relations with other countries. One major connection is China. McKinney says despite the COVID-19 pandemic, China has not yet backed down on their $36.5 billion dollar agreement for this year.
“We don’t know until December 31st if China will meet the exact letter of the agreement of 36.5," says McKinney. "I can tell you they’re rocking and rolling right now. I mean just look at the price of so many of our commodities. Here in Ohio, you got to look at corn and soybeans, pork, poultry, maybe some other things. There is very significant buying going on. So, I’m going to take that. I’ll smile, say yes, thank you, and keep moving.”
Congressman Bob Latta also took part in the discussion. He represents Ohio's 5th district, which is the largest farming area in the state. He says keeping the country's farmers at the forefront of government activities is vital to their success.
“Only about less than 2% of Americans are producing now, it’s incredible," explains Latta. "So, it’s important to me that this always has to be reiterated in Congress, and I always do it. So, we have to make sure that we have the markets that are open, that farmers have that ability to get their product out there. Also, make sure that the right laws and regulations are on the books, because if we don’t have those, we’re putting farms farther and farther behind.”
The roundtable was held at Van Wert County farmer Mike Heffelfinger's home, where he grows soybeans, corn, and wheat. As a member of the Ohio Soybean Council, the logistics of where his product is going is very important to him.
He says, “It’s very important that we discuss trade and point out to your audience that a tremendous amount of soybeans in Ohio go in the export market and go overseas, whether it’s to China or to other destinations. So, it’s not just China alone but we have many trading partners. It’s important that we get that information and keep informed.”
Moving forward, all three want to see increased trade and become a leading market for all, beating out competitors such as Brazil.
