Last week, Minnesota Senator Tina Smith co-sponsored legislation to help farmers and ranchers sell more exports overseas. She’s offering the CREAATE Act which doubles the funding for the USDA’s Market Access and Foreign Market Development Programs. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says his group backs the measure and says it’s needed to help a depressed agricultural economy.
He sees bipartisan backing for the legislation and says it should help in pushing back against the recent negative tariffs put on by the Trump administration.
Wertish says the toughest challenge will be to get the bill passed in the House although most federal lasmakers realize the importance of trade or all U.S. commodities.
The Cultivating Revitalization by Expanding American Agricultural Trade and Exports Act would provide that export funding as part of the new farm bill.
