WASHINGTON- The American Farm Bureau announced that President Trump will speak at the 99th Annual American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Convention taking place in Nashville, Tennessee, Jan. 5-10. The last president to address AFBF convention attendees was George H.W. Bush in 1992. The day of the president’s address has not been announced yet.
“The American Farm Bureau Federation is honored to host our nation’s president,” said AFBF president Zippy Duvall, a beef and poultry farmer from Georgia. “President Trump has said all along that he would make sure agriculture has a seat at the table when it comes to the top issues facing America’s farmers and ranchers. Now, it is our privilege to reserve a spot for him at our podium.
“Farmers and ranchers and our rural communities are the bedrock of our nation. President Trump knows that, and his willingness to devote his time to talk directly with Farm Bureau members will be a memorable occasion,” Duvall added.
The association said that President Trump’s address comes at a challenging time for many of its members in the farming community. For three consecutive years farm sector profits have declined and many farmers have seen declines in equity. While the Dept. of Agriculture forecasts stable profits for 2017, AFBF believes key actions on the president’s agenda could help farmers right the ship in the coming year.
“President Trump is fully aware of the economic difficulties farmers and ranchers have gone through these past few years,” Duvall said. “The economic issues he has outlined, including reform of our nation’s tax and regulatory systems, match many of the issues on Farm Bureau’s agenda.”
Duvall went on to say the president’s executive order establishing the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity, led by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, highlights the importance his administration places on rural America.
“President Trump has assigned his team to focus on important pocketbook and quality-of-life issues to strengthen rural America, and those issues are front and center on his to-do list,” Duvall said. “We look forward to hearing the strategies that he and Secretary Perdue share for taking agriculture and rural America down the road toward renewed prosperity.”
