Farm leaders: End tariffs, trade war now

SYRACUSE, N.Y. » Farm leaders from throughout New York said they are calling for a quick end to the trade war that is causing considerable economic hardship for their industry and rural upstate communities.

Several commodities such as dairy, soybeans, wine, maple and apples face retaliatory tariffs in countries such as China, Canada, Mexico and in the European Union.

Commodity prices have fallen on agricultural products and equipment prices are rising because of steel and aluminum tariffs. Farmers are concerned about losing long established mar- kets as countries turn to other, cheaper sources for their food.

These losses, in turn, will impact rural communities that depend on agriculture to support their local economies.

“We understand that trade agreements may need to be updated, but we have to be careful not to damage the relationships that we already have and depend on,” said New York Farm Bureau President David Fisher. “We are encouraging our leaders in Washington, to move quickly at getting the parties back to the negotiating table, much like we have seen this week with Mexico, and to move forward on improving trade relations with our partners.”

He and other officials voiced concerns recently at the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

While U.S. agriculture has had a trade surplus, the farm economy has not been a bright spot for the families that run them. Net farm income was already down by 50 percent before the trade wars began, Price said.

“The tariffs being imposed on our agricultural commodities are compounding an already difficult marketplace and putting New York’s farmers in a precarious situation,” said Richard Ball, state agriculture commissioner. “Once these markets are lost, we could find it extremely difficult to regain that footing. We have an opportunity here to collaborate with our partners and to call for new free trade agreements and thoughtful, long-term solutions.”

Johanna Fox-Bossard, of Bar bland Dairy in Fabius, said, “Since the end of May, following Mexico’s announcement of 25 percent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. cheeses, the price we receive for our milk has dropped by 14 percent. To put that into realistic terms for our dairy farm, that is a loss of over $3,000 a day.”

Dwayne Hill, of Shaver-Hill Maple Farm, said New York maple producers are concerned about trade from two fronts.

“The tariffs in both Asia and Canada mean a potential loss of markets for American made ma--

ple syrup as cheaper Canadian maple syrup moves in to fill the void,” he said. “In addition, the steel and aluminum tariffs have resulted in price hikes for equipment we need to produce maple syrup. My company alone was forced to increase prices 10 percent, prices that eventually will be passed down to consumers. We need a fix now before there are long lasting repercussions on New York’s maple industry.”