Western Farm Group Congratulates Trump, Works To Promote Pro-Ag Policies

By Casey Kuhn
Published: Monday, November 14, 2016 - 7:06am

Donald Trump is America’s President-elect, and while he hasn’t spoken much about agriculture policy, rural America helped propel him to the White House.

Trump hasn’t offered many specifics on what his agriculture policy would be as president. Though Trump has said he would make water access easier for farms in drought-stricken California.

Western Growers president, Tom Nassif, represents Arizona produce farmers, and co-chairs Trump’s 65-person Agriculture Advisory Committee. He said Trump can help water-allocation issues for farmers.

“He understands the depth of the issue from the farmers’ perspective and the ease by which, if the federal government acts appropriately, it can resolve that situation,” Nassif said.

He said he spoke to Trump and laid out his group's policy ideas for an immigration law overhaul that would protect farm workers and Western Growers' support of the trans-pacific partnership.

“We have to have a voice, which means staying in touch with the people the President-elect appoints to handle such matters and making sure that the views of produce growers and shippers are in fact understood and acted upon," Nassif said.

Nassif represents Arizona’s produce farmers, which grew and shipped more than one hundred million cartons of fresh fruits and vegetables last year.