Trade agreement benficial to ag industry

To the editor:

Thank you, Congressman Rod Blum, for approving trade promotion legislation that allows our country to efficiently negotiate trade agreements that benefit Iowa farmers. Having fair trade deals in place between the United States and international markets is critical to the rural communities that serve as the backbone of the food and ag industries.

I am a pork producer and know the global nature of agriculture. The U.S. agricultural trade surplus for 2013 was over $39 billion. USDA estimates that every $1 of exported U.S. agricultural goods stimulates an additional $1.27 in business activity. In 2012, ag exports created 929,000 civilian jobs, with 622,000 of them in the nonfarm sector. According to USDA, Iowa is the second leading producer and exporter of agricultural products. Iowa's agricultural exports reached an estimated $10.2 billion in 2013, up from $8.3 billion in 2009. These exports support about 77,300 farm and related industry jobs in our state. Fair trade deals are needed to continue this positive growth story.

I encourage Congress to make sure future trade deals are fair and balanced. With well-negotiated agreements, the agriculture industry is prepared to meet the growing demand for high-quality food in international markets and continue economic growth across the country supporting the production of the safest, most abundant food supply in the world.

Doug Reimer

Guttenberg