AFBF Reflects On Challenges Of 2019

2019 will be remembered as one of the toughest years in recent memory for American agriculture.  But there were many bright spots too, according Dale Moore, executive vice president of the American Farm Bureau.

“Seeing the Waters of the U.S. Rule get rolled backwards and the new Clean Water Rule moving forward," Moore stated.  "We saw the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement pass the House. We saw the Japanese government come together with the United States and come up with a new agreement that puts us back in the game. Seeing the disaster bill coming forward and the trade mitigation payments. We welcomed that extra assistance to get us through a very tough year.”

While there were victories in 2019, a long list of challenges dominated the headlines and Moore said weather was at the top of that list.

“We had rough weather getting crops in the ground, we had rough weather throughout the growing season, whether it was blizzards, late winter, spring floods, the hurricane season, the wildfires, Mother Nature has just not been cooperative. This ongoing trade war that we’ve had with China, with some progress toward ratcheting back tariffs that have hit all of agriculture so hard here in the United States.”

Moore says while there were many challenges, one of the most encouraging things he saw, was the willingness of farm country to help their neighbors through difficult time.

“Certainly, the flooding in the Midwest, we had multiple state Farm Bureaus and others contribute to special funds to help farmers and ranchers that were hardest hit," Moore continued.  "Some of the same states that were hit with flooding were helping other states that were hit with hurricanes. Go back over the last two or three years, it’s something that just makes me very proud to represent the men and women who farm and ranch in this country.”

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