President Trump is great for the pollsters, sparking intense passions from his supporters and his opponents.
The Packer’s own poll about President Trump has received more than 250 votes so far.
The question was this :
From an industry perspective, should President Trump be re-elected in 2020?
As of Dec. 9, 54% of those voting said “yes” and 46% said “no.”
When I asked the question of the LinkedIn Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group, opinions about Trump were decidedly mixed:
Full disclosure; I said this: “Trump hasn’t done the industry any favors on the trade front.”
Here is a sampling of what others said:
- Yes. A strong economy benefits the produce industry;
- Trump should not be re elected but he will be . Unless Tulsi Gabbard runs against him;
- TPP as a well structured and beneficial agreement that had even more leverage in trade with China. NAFTA has not been significantly improved. His tactic of scorched earth negotiation is short sighted and reckless;
- Would you do business with this character?
- No. Too many problems that he caused and still can cause;
- No he has caused too many problems.
- Absolutely!
TK: Trump has delivered a strong economy and a bias against further regulation but his brinkmanship approach to trade deals has hurt growers.
Generally, farmers support Trump but the continued conflict with China is taking a toll. Under the headline “Trade Progress Can’t Wait,” American Farm Bureau Federation president Zippy Duvall released this statement:
“We understand that to\ugh talk is part of trade negotiations, but we want to be crystal clear about two things: First, the latest round of trade aid to farmers provides critical support, especially for farmers out of operating capital after this year’s perfect storm of setbacks, including historic flooding, devastating hurricanes, poor planting and harvesting weather, and a sluggish farm economy. But trade aid payments are not making farmers whole. Second, a trade agreement with a market as important as China’s must be a priority. Further delay in reaching an agreement would make it hard for struggling farmers to hold on in the face of rising bankruptcy rates. The more time that passes, the more difficult it will be to win back this important export market, regardless of any trade agreement. A great next step to restore our agricultural trade would be passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to send a message to the rest of the world that we are back in the game.”
TK: Trump must deliver on trade progress with China immediately if not sooner if he hopes to retain some of his most loyal supporters.
