Farmers gathered in Downtown Fresno today to discuss a trade agreement that could benefit Valley producers. FM89’s Ezra David Romero reports.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership is supposed to boost demand for goods between the US and 11 countries including Japan and Vietnam. Darci Vetter, the Obama’s Administration’s Chief Agricultural Negotiator met with local farmers in Fresno. She says the agreement could open the door for millions of people to access California grown products.
VETTER: “The return that goes back to the pockets of farmers and ranchers is $4.4 billion annually based on TPP, almost $6 billion in new exports themselves.”
The agreement focuses on decreasing or limiting tariffs on commodities. For instance, Canada will eliminate tariffs on whey.
VETTER: “California farmers could ship north, but also unprecedented access into Japan and elimination of every dairy tariff in Vietnam and Malaysia.”
Vetter says if the agreement makes it through Congress later this year producers who export fresh fruit, tree nuts and cotton will be big winners.
