In a visit to the Washington County Fairgrounds as part of the 26th Annual Great Eastern Iowa Tractorcade, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig discussed declining farm profitability and what can be done to address it.

Initially, Naig directed criticism toward the federal government, and what could be done in Washington to help farmers, focusing on a current lack of certainty for the future, “A new five-year farm bill is something that would bring certainty. Signing new trade agreements, and certainly we’re encouraged the administration is talking to so many countries… Year-round access to E-15, these are the types of things that would send a signal for demand on the agricultural side, which would bring prices back up.”

When asked to clarify what he and the state were doing in order to help farmers, Naig said that the state was fighting to push federal policy in the directions he previously mentioned, before turning to Iowa-specific actions. He highlighted a trade mission he hosted from Vietnam last week in which the Vietnamese delegation signed a memorandum of understanding, a non-binding document stating their intention to purchase $800 million worth of corn soy beans and pork. He also said the state had a role to play in further encouraging the use of biofuels.

To hear the full interview with Secretary Naig, tune in to Thursday’s In Touch With Southeast Iowa Program.