Sec. Perdue Optimistic About 2020
When the clock strikes midnight and 2019 fades into the history books, most farmers will utter a big sigh of relief. Let’s face it, 2019 has been a rough year in most of agriculture. But, as we begin the new year, there are signs things are starting to improve Including purchases purchases of ag products by China, promised final adoption of USMCA, and a market that is trending higher.
Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue is hoping for continued improvement in the new year, “I am hoping for a bonanza for the ag economy and the U.S. economy in general. I hope farmers can plant with certainty, knowing they have a market for their crop.” He added, in the meantime, USDA would continue to work to open new markets in other parts of the world.
Perdue told Michigan Ag Today that with trade deals set with China and Japan, the focus moves to other Asian markets, “Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Indiana, those countries have hungry mouths as well.”
Under Secretary for Trade Ted McKinney feels the USMCA deal will serve as a template for similar agreements with the UK, which is leaving the EU, and for several nations in Africa. If all this comes to pass, farmers will be getting better news in 2020 than they got in 2019.