Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black is applauding action taken by the Trump Administration to assist farmers who have been hurt by recent trade disputes.
“We look forward to learning more regarding the assistance announced today,” Commissioner Black said. “We believe this is a good short-term solution for our farmers who have long-suffered from unfair trade practices from many of our international trading partners.”
The $12 billion plan includes three programs; Market Facilitation Program which would include direct assistance for farmers, the Food Purchase Distribution Program focused on assisting farmers with excess crops, and the Trade Promotion Program aimed at building new export markets. Commissioner Black believes a strong state voice will be important in all efforts, but especially the Trade Promotion Program, which is set to be focused on the individual trade needs of the Country’s diverse commodities.
“We are hopeful that states will be heavily involved in this program since they are best tuned in to the needs of the crops and commodities in their individual states,” Black said.
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The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown program has already looked at expanding trade opportunities for Georgia commodities with a recent trip to Indonesia.
“We are always looking to broaden our trade portfolio,” says Paul Thompson, deputy director of marketing and promotion. “We literally just got off the road talking Georgia Grown with hopes of untapping potential new trade markets for our Georgia farmers.”
Commissioner Black believes that the recently announced assistance will be a short-term fix for a longtime problem.
“We’ve finally called China’s hand on the unfair trade practices they have long imposed on American agriculture,” Black said. “For years they have levied biased regulations against our farmers and their commodities and hopefully we are now on a steady road for a clear and certain resolution.”