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USMCA an early present for U.S. turkey growers

The U.S. turkey industry is thrilled to have a new NAFTA agreement in time for the holiday season.

Minnesota Turkey Growers Association executive director Steve Olson says about 15 percent of overall production is exported to foreign markets.

“With Mexico being the top market for us.  So getting the new NAFTA resolved was huge for us.  We just wanted to have some stability there to make sure we were able to maintain that market.”

He tells Brownfield USMCA might allow for greater access into Canada as well.

Olson says the trade dispute with China would’ve been more impactful to U.S. turkey growers a few years ago.

“China was our number two market, but three years ago they kind of locked us out because of high-path avian influenza.  And of course that disease has been gone for three years, but they haven’t opened back up.  So we’re hoping that some of these trade negotiations will help eliminate those kinds of things from happening in the future.”

He says Chinese tariffs are indirectly affecting the turkey sector because duties on pork have backed up product, putting more protein on the market.