Ag Policy Blog

A group of more than 40 organizations sent a letter to the White House on Thursday asking President Donald Trump to make rural America a priority during his administration.

This follows the letter last month from agricultural groups asking the president to focus on trade to help farmers. And another letter Monday by 87 agriculture groups and companies urged the administration to work hard to improve trade in the Asia-Pacific region.

The signers of Thursday's letter ranged from Farm Credit lenders to community college leaders, rural development advocates and farm organizations.

The groups noted in the letter to the president, "As you witnessed first-hand during the campaign, the issues facing rural America are no less significant than those facing urban parts of the country, but can more easily be overlooked because America’s small towns and rural areas make up just 15 percent of the nation’s population.

"As you continue to develop the team that will assist you in leading the nation for the next four years, we respectfully request that you keep the needs of our nation’s farmers, ranchers, and residents of small communities high on the priority list for your administration. Multiple federal agencies have an impact on rural areas, and coordination among those agencies is essential to ensuring that the resources of the Federal government are efficiently and effectively used.

"To help ensure a focused and coordinated effort to address the needs of rural areas, we suggest a designated senior member of the White House staff and/or an Office of Rural Policy within the Executive Office of the President to focus specifically on rural issues. Such an individual or office could become an added voice to ensure that the interests of rural Americans are addressed across the highest levels of your Administration."

Those signing the letter included,

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank

AgriBank, FCB

American Association of Community Colleges

American Association of Crop Insurers

American Sugar Alliance

America's SBDC

Center for Rural Affairs

CoBank

COSCDA

Crop Insurance Professionals Association

Fair Food Network

Farm Credit Bank of Texas

Farm Credit Council

Farmer Mac

Housing Assistance Council

National Association of Counties

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO)

National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils (RC&D)

National Association of Towns and Townships

National Association of Wheat Growers

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

National Cooperative Business Association

National Cotton Council

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC)

National Farmers Union

National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association

National Milk Producers Federation

National Peach Council

National Pork Producers Council

National Rural Economic Developers (NREDA)

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (NRUCFC)

National Sorghum Producers

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association

Panhandle Peanut Growers Association

Partners for Rural America

Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC)

Rural Community Assistance Partnership Inc. (RCAP)

Select Milk Producers

Southern Peanut Farmers Federation

Southwest Council of Agribusiness

USA Rice

Western Peanut Growers Association

© Copyright 2017 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.