Ag secretary says farmers will meet today?s challenges

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

OAKLAND MILLS ? Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey said that while Iowa agriculture, like agriculture in the remainder of the nation, is facing some challenges, he is confident the state?s farmers will rise to that challenge.

?Iowa farmers are always optimistic and ready to go,? Northey said Thursday at the River Rock Café at Oakland Mills. ?It?s going to be a challenge the next several years. Farmers are going to have to watch expenses and there will be some layoffs at ag-related businesses,? he said. ?But if you look where Iowa is positioned, there is nowhere you would want to be, but Iowa.?

Northey, who has a farming operation near Spirit Lake, pointed to the fact that only three countries, the U.S., China and Brazil, exceed Iowa in corn production. The same goes for soybeans and pork. In soybeans, Iowa ranks behind the United States, Brazil and Argentina while only the Eastern European Union, the U.S. and China produce more pork than Iowa.

The agriculture secretary, now in his third term and 10th year at the post, makes it a point to visit all 99 counties, taking a page from U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley?s, R-Iowa, playbook.

In addition to being able to meet state farmers, he said the visits also help him learn of potential problems. ?I remember when campaigning and seeing Grassley out there all over,? he reflected. ?Grassley was not only out there but also listening. That gave him an early-warning system. Issues change so rapidly so you have to keep getting out and learning what is going on.?

President Barack Obama?s fiscal 2017 budget includes an $18 billion cut in crop insurance over the next 10 years, but Northey isn?t overly concerned. He said that crop insurance is ?kind of what is left of farm programs.? Continuing, he said that crop insurance cuts are not likely to happen because a Republican Congress won?t pass it.

With crop and livestock prices taking a dip, Northey said farmers have to become better managers. ?It might mean not buying that new piece of equipment and fixing what you have. Farmers are going to have to figure out how to cut costs.?

Regarding last summer?s bird flu outbreak, he said he thought the state responded well. ?Sure, you are always going to look at how we can do things better and how much easier we can make it for producers.?

He said another outbreak is possible this summer as bird flu was reported in Indiana earlier this year. Should Iowa experience bird flu again this summer, he said the United States Department of Agriculture is mulling having the farmers effected handle the cleanup. ?Management by the individual farmer is the preferable way to do it,? Northey stated.

With spring planting quickly approaching, Northey said everything is in place for a good start. ?Tiles are running throughout the state, so that means there is good moisture in place. Farmers don?t mind if it is smidgen dry in the spring so they can get the crop in.?

Northey concluded by saying farmers will persevere. ?Farmers have their ups and downs but are survivors, and I have no doubt that they will handle these challenging times.?