Trade and Ag Budget Pt 1

Trade and Ag Budget Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I'm Bob Larson. Spring is here with another crop year in front of us and growers continue waiting to see what the trade picture might look like if and when negotiations wrap up.

U.S. Representative Dan Newhouse says without TPP and a NAFTA replacement still in the works, these are uncertain times for Washington growers ...

NEWHOUSE ... "What most people understand and what I certainly saw first-hand when I was Director of Agriculture and worked hard to develop and open new markets was it's a very competitive marketplace out there. There's a lot of other countries that produce some of the same products we do. We certainly are very proud of the quality that we have in the state of Washington, but if we can't provide the product other countries will. And it's not easy to regain those markets if you lose them."

So, Newhouse says the ongoing negotiations could not be more important ...

NEWHOUSE ... "These talks are huge for us, huge for short and the long term, in getting these markets back for this year and on into the futures. So, I can't overstate enough that this is a big deal for us and our agricultural future."

As for a USDA budget, Newhouse says there's still plenty of work remaining ...

NEWHOUSE ... "The administration's always put out a blueprint or a list of their priorities and there is a lot of work that is done before an actual budget is approved."

Newhouse says it's a long process, but a lot of positive things could happen.

Tune in tomorrow for more budget negotiations and what it could mean for Washington producers.

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