AFBF President Frames Challenges, Expresses Hope

Agriculture faced a perfect storm in 2018, and while some of that storm has passed, much of it remains in 2019, says American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall.

Trade tensions, declining farm income and a labor shortage remain challenges for 2019. Duvall said he sees good news, too.

The Georgia farmer spoke at the SC AgriBiz & Farm Expo in Florence, S.C. He said the biggest problem facing farmers of every commodity and in every region is lack of labor.

“If we don’t find an answer to our labor problems on the farm, we will continue to see farmers restricted from their ability to produce and expand,” he said.

He connected farm labor to border security. He said the bureau supports a secure border, and it has worked with Congress for a decade to create a guest worker program for agriculture.

“They’ll say ‘we can’t do anything when it comes to immigration until we secure the border.’ For the past four years I’ve been saying ‘so let’s secure the border because I’m tired of hearing that excuse.’ We have to take that excuse away from them because if we don’t, we never will solve the problems with farm labor or immigration reform.”

He said a 50 percent drop in farm income over the past five years is a worry.

“I tell groups that aren’t in agriculture, what if your boss decided to cut your check in half Monday morning? What would you do that week to supply your family what they need by Friday, and you get that check, and it is half of what it was. That’s what our farmers are facing,” he said.

Duvall declared victory on the farm bill.

“To introduce a farm bill and get it passed in the same year, is almost unheard of. It’s been over 20 years since we’ve actually had that happen. We are very, very proud of our success in getting it passed,” Duvall said.

Despite challenges, Duvall is hopeful.

“My hope lies in what I see in Washington. You might think that sounds funny, but being there just about every week, my hope comes in an administration that gives us a seat at the table, because we haven’t always enjoyed that,” he said.

Source: Farm Bureau