Last weekend, Trump spoke to American farmers about all the deals he’s been making for them, reports Agri-Pulse—a critical message in the election year, in which support from the agriculture industry could be up for grabs.
The event: He attended the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention in Austin, Texas, where he “focused a substantial part of his address on his recently concluded ‘phase one’ agreement with China last week and the revised U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement that received final congressional approval last week,” reports Agri-Pulse.
USMCA is fine for ag. The Washington Post called the NAFTA replacement “a mixed bag” for farmers, because while “they can continue selling their products to the United States’ two largest agricultural export markets,” many of the provisions had already been negotiated in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which Trump pulled out of in early 2017—thereby delaying any benefits and inhibiting access to a larger market.
But the impact of the China deal is TBD. While Trump called it “a bonanza for American farmers,” China’s commitments to purchase more agriculture hinge on demand, Reuters explained. And it’s too early to tell what it means for ag biotech approvals and intellectual property, as we told Agri-Pulse.
And now, for a bit of color: “At one point Trump held up a Wall Street Journal report about a recent poll showing how his support among Midwest farmers was ticking up this month even as the China trade details were coming out,” says Agri-Pulse.
Why it matters: Between the trade war, delayed trade deals, and the unprecedented number of biofuel waivers, things actually haven’t been all rosy for the agriculture industry—a sector that’s been one of his “most loyal constituencies,” but might be taking a look at other candidates this time around. There are nine months to go.
More reading:
POLITICO: Trump touts promises after painful year for farmers