Wisconsin farmers hopeful as trade talks continue with Canada

NAFTA talks have resumed this week between the U.S. and Canada.

Key areas of disagreement have to be worked out between the two nations before a new deal can be inked.

Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation president Jim Holte certainly looks forward to when things get better for farmers.

“There’s been quite a bit, could you say, unknown thrown into the circle right now with the negotiation of NAFTA,” he said. “In most cases, uncertainty tends to have a negative impact on our prices that we’ve seen for our products so that’s been a challenge for farmers.”

The U.S. is trying to get Canada to buy in on the same NAFTA update that Mexico has already agreed to.

Find fair ways to trade, everybody benefits is why Holt says it would be extremely beneficial to farmers if an agreement could be reached soon.

Despite negative comments from leaders of both countries, Holte says he’s not without hope.

“I’m not gonna tell you exactly when it’s going to happen, because it may conclude in a week or two or three or it may be months,” Holte said.

Both Canada’s Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump have suggested they might be better off without a trade deal.

Canada is by far Wisconsin’s biggest agricultural export market, despite the northern nation’s high tariffs on farm products like milk.