The Wisconsin Farm Burearu said that the state’s agricultural economy benefits from trade and the relationships with neighboring countries.
«The USMCA agreement is very good news as it builds upon our already-established trade relationships with Canada and Mexico in several key areas,» Wisconsin Farm Bureau President Jim Holte said.
A dairy farmer at the expo said that she’s felt the effects of a downward cycle the industry has been in for the last three or four years.
«I think what this will do is allow us to at least get back to the point where we can operate profitably,» dairy farmer Heather Jauquet said.
The agreement could allow more access to the Canadian market, which could provide an opportunity for American farmers to start getting rid of the extra product they have right now, and, in turn, hopefully bring prices back up. Jauquet said that the dairy industry is facing 1970s prices despite inflation and the increased cost of production.
«The new U.S., Mexico, Canada agreement that is proposed is a huge win for the U.S. dairy industry because it opens up access to those markets fully again and allows us to compete in a free trade environment, back into those two countries, which are huge export potential markets for us,» Jauquet said.
For farmers like Jauquet, the industry means more to them than the product itself.
«More than anything it’s the people in the industry, it’s the tradition of hard work, teaching work ethic from a very young age, the pride in producing a high-quality product to try to feed the world and the pride in our cattle and that ties in so well to what we’re celebrating this week at World Dairy Expo in Madison,» Jauquet said.