Economic crises and devalued currencies result in increased consumer prices, which directly translate into weakened market demand. Lost sales mean lower incomes for our producers and economic pressures on America's rural economies. The ability of U.S. agriculture to gain and maintain a share of global markets depends on many factors, including obtaining strong trade agreements that are properly enforced, and enhancing the administration's ability to negotiate increased market access, remedy unfair trading practices, and to adequately fund export credit and market development programs. When Congress passed the 1996 Freedom to Farm Act, it phased out farm price supports, making U.S. agriculture more dependent on the world market. American farmers and ranchers produce an abundant supply of commodities far in excess of domestic needs and their productivity continues to increase.
Exports are agriculture's source of future growth in sales and income.
As you are well aware, U.S. agriculture is reeling from low commodity prices. Given an abundant domestic supply and a stable U.S. population rate, expanding existing market access and opening new export markets for agriculture is more important than ever. Agriculture's longstanding history of a balance of trade surplus will not continue if we are relegated to the sidelines as new negotiations in agriculture commence. Our negotiators must have negotiating authority to create new export opportunities for U.S. farmers and ranchers. Moreover, total agricultural exports account for nearly a million high paying jobs for U.S. workers - the vast majority of which are off the farm in processing and transportation.