Empire State Farming: President-Elect Donald Trump

From Empire Farm & Dairy magazine

By MARC HELLER
hellmarc@gmail.com

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s ride to victory went straight through rural America — but not the rural America many Northern New Yorkers know.

The question for agriculture policy, farm groups and others close to the issues say, is which farm interests have his administration’s ear.

Trump had one representative of the dairy industry on his agriculture advisory committee, the chairman of Fair Oaks Farm, a 30,000-cow dairy farm in Ohio that covers 30 square miles. Others represent large livestock operations, the pesticide industry group CropLife America, and one of the biggest egg farms in the country.

That suggests Trump is keeping closest to groups that are less concerned about government safety nets and more worried about regulations from federal agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency.

“We feel like we’re going to get some real relief where it’s needed,” said Ethan Lane, public lands council executive director at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

That could include a quick reversal on the Obama administration’s “waters of the U.S.” rules as part of the Clean Water Act, which are already stalled in court, as well as an easing of laws such as the Endangered Species Act as they affect farmers and ranchers, he said.

Trump’s campaign didn’t have much to say about dairy policy, and a spokesman for the National Milk Producers Federation, Christopher Galen, said his organization — which represents farmer-owned bargaining cooperatives — hasn’t taken a deep look at the implications yet.

That is true as well of the International Dairy Foods Association, representing milk processors.
“The impact of the election on dairy policy is the question of the hour; I think everyone is struggling with it,” said IDFA Vice President for Communications Peggy Armstrong.

The NMPF continues to focus on a strong safety net for dairy farmers as well as expanded trade and “pro-farmer policies” in labor, environmental regulation and taxes, Galen said.

Trade policy is likely to change under Trump. The NMPF has often supported free trade agreements, including the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership, to which Trump has been hostile.

Many of the policies that affect dairy farmers most directly, such as federal milk pricing programs, won’t change soon. Those are dictated by the five-year farm bill, due for its next rewrite in 2018, and Congress — not the administration — will lead the way.

Dairy groups and some Northeast lawmakers have called for adjustments to the margin protection program that helps farmers when milk prices are low and feed prices high, to tailor the program more toward farmers outside the Midwest. A chief proponent of that cause, Rep. Christopher Gibson (R-Kinderhook), is retiring from Congress and will be replaced by Republican John Faso.

It’s also unclear who might lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among Trump allies from the campaign, Mike McCloskey — the Fair Oaks Farm executive — has been mentioned, as has Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Kansas Gov. and former U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and a host of others.

More important, farm groups say, the congressional agriculture committees won’t change much. Democratic hopes of taking control of the Senate didn’t materialize, meaning Sens. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) are poised to hold on to their chairman and ranking Democrat roles on the Senate committee that writes the farm bill.

Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will likely remain a senior member of that panel, giving New York a voice on the farm bill. A spokesman said her office wouldn’t have any comment yet on the implications of Trump’s presidency on the farm bill.

Budget realities will probably dictate the farm bill’s shape as much as policy priorities, said Vincent Smith, an agricultural economist at Montana State University and policy analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. If Trump pushes deep tax cuts through Congress, that would set the stage for a smaller farm bill that more sharply pits various farm interests against each other, he said.

The political map will shape discussions as well, Smith said. Gillibrand is up for re-election in 2018, just as the agriculture committees are trying to pass a farm bill. She likely wouldn’t face an uphill climb, but six others of the nine Democrats on the committee will also face voters.

Those include Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), whose state just helped Trump win election, and Stabenow, who has worked closely with Gillibrand on expanding programs for fruit and vegetable growers.
“Michigan is a farm state, and Stabenow isn’t going to want to lose the seat,” Smith said.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

What Does a Trump Presidency Hold for Ag?

What should farmers look for in a Trump presidency?

Check out this story from AgWeb at http://www.agweb.com/article/president-trump-whats-next-for-ag-naa-ben-potter/ this link.

How President-Elect Trump's 100-Day Plan Affects Agriculture

Here's an interesting story on how the items President-Elect Trump wants to tackle first could affect agriculture.

Check it out at http://www.agweb.com/article/how-president-trumps-100-day-plan-affects-agriculture-naa-anna-lisa-laca/ this link.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Veteran Food Lobbyist Heads Trump's Ag Transition Team

Go to http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/michael-torrey-trump-agriculture-transition-231144 to check out the story.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

American Farm Bureau Federation Comments on Nov. 8 National Election

Statement from American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall on the election results from Tuesday, Nov. 8:

“The American Farm Bureau Federation congratulates President-elect Trump on his election, as well as those candidates elected to serve during the 115th Congress.

"The important issues facing American agriculture are not red or blue, but they are critical to the prosperity of rural America and our ability to protect our nation’s food supply. We urge our elected representatives to reach across the aisle and come together to resolve the challenges we face.

“Farmers and ranchers understand that their businesses and their families have too much at stake to take a back seat on Election Day, and rural America clearly made a difference in this election. Now it’s time for our newly elected leaders to turn up for rural America and keep their campaign promises by addressing the issues that matter to the people who sent them to Washington.

"Farm Bureau looks forward to working with the new administration and Congress on issues such as the farm bill, tax reform and a trade agenda focused on reducing barriers and expanding exports.

“America’s farmers and ranchers are working overtime to ensure our food supply is safe and sustainable. It’s time our elected leaders put that same diligence to work protecting U.S. agriculture by promoting innovation and ensuring we have an adequate workforce.

"We need regulatory reform that boosts farm businesses rather than shutting them down. Farmers are concerned for the environment and are hopeful that the new administration will recognize agriculture’s strides in sustainability and protect our ability to produce.

“Elected officials come to Washington with different perspectives and ideas, but they share a common goal of wanting to make our nation better for all Americans. At Farm Bureau, we will continue to do our part to help identify opportunities for cooperation to improve the lives of rural communities, and all American farmers and ranchers.”

Donald Trump Has an Agricultural Task Force

A story from Politico about Donald Trump's selection of people for his agricultural task force.

Here is the http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-agriculture-team-policy-227083 story.

Analysis: Market Reaction to Trump Victory

Here is a story written in the United Kingdom about what a Trump presidency might mean for agriculture in the UK and in the US.

Check it out at http://www.fwi.co.uk/business/analysis-market-reaction-to-trump-victory.htm?cmpid=SOC|Twitter|FarmersWeekly|sf41795202|sf41795202