The animal and pet food market has done well the past few years. However, there are still some key trade and policy issues that are top of mind.
Mallory Gaines is the Director of Market Access and Trade Policy for the American Feed Industry Association. She shares more about some issues that the association has set its sights on.
Gaines says that one area of focus is finding increased market access for American feed products. Between the war in Ukraine and COVID shutdowns in China, disruptions have pushed for the association to search for different markets.
International barriers also pose a problem. According to Gaines, “un-scientific” trade barriers can also cause disruptions. She says that these are policies based more so on public opinion than true science. She is pushing for these policies to have more of a science backing.
Gaines would also like to see a strong national leader for this arena.
“It’s hard to create strategic plans,” says Gaines “It’s hard to promote agriculture when you don’t have that fundamental leader.”
Gaines says that AFIA would like to see an undersecretary for trade within USDA to give producers a strong leader in the trading space.
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