U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp Tuesday met with members of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association to discuss their concerns related to the U.S.-Canadian trade relationship and the ongoing renegotiation of NAFTA. Heitkamp also spoke about the damaging effects of the administration’s escalating trade war on North Dakota agriculture and the need for bipartisan agreement on a strong 2018 Farm Bill before the September 30 deadline.
During their trip to Washington, the Northern Plains Potato Growers delegation has also met with the International Trade Commission and Deputy Ambassador Greg Doud, the Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). These meetings build on Heitkamp’s ongoing efforts to vocalize their concerns and find new and sustainable ways to put U.S. potatoes on an even playing field with Canadian potatoes.
Tuesday’s meeting builds on Heitkamp’s meeting earlier this month with the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association near Grand Forks to hear how Red River Valley potato farmers and processors are impacted by changes to trade agreements, specifically NAFTA.
“North Dakota farmers and ranchers deserve a resolution to NAFTA talks, which have been going on for over a year, that protects our state’s rural economy while fixing provisions that put some of our producers at a disadvantage. Red River Valley potato growers have a strong case to be made that Canada has unfairly limited their profits and narrowed their fair market access,” said Heitkamp. “In our many discussions over the past months, I’ve updated our potato farmers about ongoing NAFTA renegotiations, my meetings with Canadian trade representatives, and the need to find new markets in which to sell our high-quality potatoes. As the administration attempts to end the immense uncertainty caused by renegotiations, our farmers must voice their trade concerns loud and clear— and that’s what the Northern Plains Potato Growers are doing today in Washington. Hard-working farmers need to be able to sell their crop, and I’m fighting in Farm Bill negotiations for a bill that protects their crop insurance, gives them much-needed certainty, and expands— not shrinks— their access to global markets.”