Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts talked about several areas of concern regarding the state’s ag economy while at Husker Harvest Days. He says as a leading ethanol producing state the industry has been negatively impacted by EPA’s granting of small refinery exemptions. The Trump Administration has offered a plan to raise the biofuels blending levels that the industry must accept by today. However, Ricketts says its unacceptable.
The Governor is also watching the pain in the cattle industry with the recent ten- year lows in prices. Ricketts talked to Tyson officials following the Kansas plant fire who don’t expect to be back processing until January of 2020. In the meantime, he’s concerned about the record margins in the packing sector.
Ricketts sees trade as an opportunity to improve Nebraska’s ag economy and he was encouraged by his trade mission to Vietnam last week.
He says they talked to Vietnam officials about trade barriers and are following up to work through those challenges.
Ricketts says if Congress ratified the USMCA it would also provide an immediate boost to the ag economy.
