2018 Farm Outlook

Page 20 2018 Logan County Farm Outlook Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Oct. 25, 2018 Recently, the United States, Mexico, and Canada have been working on revising a trade deal called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA. Earlier this month, Illinois Farm Bureau President Richard Guebert Jr. said, “At a time of falling net farm income, rising expenses, and market uncertainty, this renamed U.S.- Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USCMA) represents an important and timely step in the right direction for Illinois farmers.” The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has said the agreement will help to expand markets for agricultural products such as milk, cheese and other dairy products. Though the agreement has not yet been approved, there are hopes it may be approved sometime in early 2019. One intent is for the program to provide more funding for developing foreign marketing and step up marketing overseas, which the agricultural organizations seem to be hoping for. The program also aims to provide relief to those who have suffered financially, mitigate the damage caused by the trade wars, and to enable local producers to receive some of the aid to help them through. This complex process is challenging for farmers. It appears that the day is long past when farmers could simply experience the fruits of their labors without any government interventions. But the goal of the present negotiations is to empower the farmers to do their work with the confidence that our government stands behind the American farmer. References: Trump administrations announces $12 billion “bailout” for farmers hit by tariffs https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump- administration-to-announce-12-billion-in- aid-to-farmers-affected-by-tariffs/ USDAAnnounces Details of Assistance for Farmers Impacted by Unjustified Retaliation https://www.usda.gov/media/press- releases/2018/08/27/usda-announces- details-assistance-farmers-impacted- unjustified Ag Industry Thrilled, Disheartened by Tariff Aid Details https://www.agweb.com/article/ag- industry-thrilled-disheartened-by-tariff-aid- details/ Reactions Mixed Over New Trump Farm Aid Proposal https://www.ilnews.org/news/agriculture/ reactions-mixed-over-new-trump-farm- aid-proposal/article_3a650d8e-91da-11e8- a5f4-abd2a625b10a.html Statement from the Illinois Farm Bureau Regarding U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement http://www.ilfb.org/media/statement-from- the-ifb-regarding-us-canada-mexico-free- trade-agreement/