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NAWG calls for immediate ratification of USMCA

The National Association of Wheat Growers is among many farm groups calling for immediate ratification of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement.

NAWG president Ben Scholz, a Texas wheat farmer, says his organization has been advocating for USMCA for months.

“Mexico is our number one wheat customer, and obviously for general trade, this agreement is good for all three countries.”

House Democrats continue to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in an effort to present Congress with a deal that would get USMCA to President Trump’s desk.

Scholz tells Brownfield trade is a huge issue with U.S. wheat acreage on a multi-decade decline.

“We have concerted efforts to try to move that 50 percent of our production that annually needs to find an export home. So getting our value back into our wheat crop, that would be a trend reversal hopefully if you’re looking for more planted acres.”

Scholz says he was pleased to see the Japanese enter into a preliminary trade agreement earlier this year given that Japan is the number two customer of U.S. wheat.