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Doud says investment in infrastructure key to agriculture’s success

An ag economist says investment in infrastructure is crucial to keeping the ag industry competitive on the global market.

Gregg Doud with Aimpoint Research, a global, strategic intelligence firm, says the ability for the US to export has been under extreme pressure in recent months and that will only get worse as farmers expand production.  “We have a big competitor in Brazil now,” he says.  “They’ve go their window and we’ve got our window.  As the old Kansas saying goes, ‘you’ve got to make hay while the sun is shining’ and in our window, we’ve got to be able to utilize our capacity and our infrastructure to the best we possibly can and/or consider how to expand it.”

He says advancement and investment in rural broadband also needs to be a priority.  “I’m fascinated to watch this new Starlink, this new Elon Musk internet with satellites,” he says.  “I know North Dakota has some stuff going on that now and folks using it.  I think there’s going to be a lot of interesting things coming here and we’ve got to have this in Rural America to be successful.”

Prior to joining Aimpoint Research as their vice president of global situational awareness & chief economist, Doud was the Chief Ag Negotiator for the US Trade Representative and was one of the primary architects of the US-China Phase One trade agreement.