Agriculture has been a primary theme at this week’s Republican National Convention.
The GOP calls up a diverse group of speakers to support Donald Trump on the second night of the convention. Jason Joyce is an eighth generation lobster and oyster fisherman from Maine. He did not vote for Trump in 2016, but now he is supportive of the President’s trade policies.
“He has followed through on his promises, including last week when he brokered a deal to end European Union tariffs of 8 percent on Maine live lobsters and up to 20 percent on Maine lobster products,” he said.
The administration also reversed an Obama era regulation that limited commercial fishing.
“Obama’s executive order offended us greatly. It circumvented the fisheries council input,” Joyce added. “President Trump reversed that decision, reinstating the rules that allow stake holder input and he supports a process that seeks and respects fisherman’s views.”
A Wisconsin dairy farmer also spoke in support of the President and his economic development strategies.
According to farmer Cris Peterson, “By the end of 2018, we had a new state of the art robotic milking facility that allows our cows to milk themselves three times a day. At about the same time, President Trump’s economic boom began helping dairy farmers across the nation. As a businessman, Trump understands that farming is a complicated, capital intensive, and risky business.”
She praised the President and USDA for their quick work to support dairy producers when the coronavirus shut down the supply chain.
Speaking from Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds said that the President also jumped into quick action to support the state after a derecho storm wiped out hundred of acres of crops.
“The day after the storm, the President called to assure me that we had the full backing of the federal government, and later that week, Vice President Pence came to Iowa to, again, assure us the President and his administration were behind us,” the governor said. “With the help of the Trump administration, we quickly received a major disaster declaration that will help Iowans get back on their feet.”
President Trump became the official Republican nominee for the 2020 Election, after a delegate roll call vote on Monday.
Last week at the DNC, farmers shared support for Joe Biden. His platform includes support for green energy, funding for conservation programs, and a commitment to focus on trade agreements that are good for farmers.