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NFU wants a renegotiated NAFTA to be better for U.S. beef producers

The National Farmers Union (NFU) wants the Trump administration to change the North American Free Trade Agreement to be better for U.S. beef producers.  NFU government relations director Barbara Patterson tells Brownfield NAFTA should be renegotiated to reinstate country of origin labeling.

“This is a great opportunity to have Canada and Mexico agree that the U.S. should be able to inform its consumers about where their meat comes from,” Patterson told Brownfield Ag News Wednesday.

NAFTA renegotiation should also address the U.S. beef trade deficit with both Canada and Mexico, said Patterson, “making sure that there are labor and environmental standards in the trade agreements that are enforceable, that don’t allow for production to happen in other countries because it’s easier, it’s cheaper [and] there are lower labor standards.”

The Farmers Union contends that NAFTA contributed to a 15 percent decline in the number of U.S. beef cattle operations from 1992 and 2012.

AUDIO: Barbara Patterson (6 min. MP3)

 

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