Agri-Pulse Open Mic Interview

This week's Open Mic guest is President and CEO of Western Growers Dave Puglia. Specialty crop producers are weighed down by high prices for crop inputs and labor, as well as an astronomical regulatory burden, underscoring the need for a broader national discussion about U.S. food production. Puglia says Canada and Mexico are important trading partners, but outlines changes needed to the USMCA trade accord. He also discusses specialty crop provisions in the pending farm bill and shares how his members are adopting robotics and other advanced technologies.

This week's Open Mic guest is Kasey Cronquist, President of the North American Blueberry Council. The blueberry industry has a vision of blueberries as the world's favorite fruit that is consumed beyond breakfast. While it's a lofty goal, there is plenty of evidence that consumer demand for the healthy and tasty fruit is growing rapidly both domestically and globally. Even better blueberries are on the way, thanks to more research and breeding. He says trade is key to satisfying growing consumer demand and adding value.

This week’s Open Mic guest is Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. The meat industry is enjoying strong consumer demand both in the U.S. and abroad, though Potts says some segments are faring better than others. A smaller cattle inventory is squeezing beef packers and processors as producers contend with drought and high input costs. Potts praises USDA’s efforts to combat New World screwworm and says she hopes the USMCA trade agreement will be renewed. She’s optimistic about the prospects for a new farm bill but believes agricultural labor reform will be left to the next Congress.

This week's Open Mic guest is Michael Dykes, president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association. Dykes comments on the significant role Canada and Mexico play in the success of the U.S. dairy industry and his hopes for renewing the USMCA trade agreement. He also shares concerns about EU regulations impacting U.S. exports. On the domestic front, he discusses the tremendous growth of dairy demand and how the dietary guidelines and MAHA movement are catching up to the health benefits of dairy in the diet.

This week's Open Mic guest is Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio. Innovation in the form of gene edited microbes may be a solution to helping farmers reduce fertilizer costs. Abbott says farmers are showing renewed interest in the soil biome as a means to improve plant health and harvest nutrients from the atmosphere. He also discusses how new innovations in agriculture need to be economically sustainable and enable greater productivity.