LINCOLN, Neb. (RFD NEWS) — From ongoing U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) negotiations to uncertainty surrounding China, global markets can directly impact demand and prices for U.S. agricultural commodities.
Jayson Beckman with the Clayton Yeutter Institute of International Trade and Finance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln joined us on Tuesday’s Market Day Report to discuss the importance of global exports to domestic agriculture and the role the institute plays in preparing future agricultural leaders.
In his interview with RFD News, Beckman said Nebraska is one of the nation’s most export-oriented agricultural states, with more than one-third of the state’s agricultural production ultimately consumed by customers around the world.
Products including beef, corn, pork, soybeans, ethanol and dry beans all rely on global demand.
“These global markets bring us demand for our products,” Beckman said. “They help support prices, and they help support the Nebraska agricultural and total economy.”
Preparing Future Agricultural Leaders
The Yeutter Institute is named after Nebraskan Clayton Yeutter, who served as both U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and U.S. Trade Representative. The institute has become a nationally recognized center for research and education focused on global trade, agricultural policy and international economic issues.
For students, Beckman said the institute provides opportunities to learn directly from experts and policymakers while gaining practical experience through study-abroad programs and internships.
Students also have opportunities to interact with business leaders and distinguished speakers who have helped shape U.S. and global trade policy.
Why Trade Matters to Farmers
Understanding international trade is increasingly important for the next generation of agricultural leaders because global markets can influence decisions made on farms and ranches even when producers never leave Nebraska.
“Agriculture is global,” Beckman said. “Even if you never step foot out of Nebraska, the international markets are determining what happens on the decisions at farms and ranches every day here in Nebraska and nationally.”
Beckman encouraged those interested in learning more about international trade, agricultural policy and the institute’s upcoming events to visit the Clayton Yeutter Institute’s website.
LEARN MORE: www.yeutter-institute.unl.edu
