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Ag leaders say US is behind on infrastructure updates
Two leaders in the ag industry say the US is behind on key infrastructure improvements that are holding farmers back.
Mary Andringa with Vermeer Corporation says the lack of broadband access is hindering progress for things like precision agriculture and gathering data for climate change mitigation. She compares US infrastructure to a poorly maintained machine.
“You have to continually update all of your machines and put money back into capital investments. I think that’s what has not happened to the point it needs to be on US infrastructure.”
National Corn Growers Association chairman Kevin Ross says they have been pushing for waterway infrastructure improvements for a long time.
“We need to see a plan in place for these rivers because the artery that goes through the US, the Mississippi River, is so vitally important to ag exports. We would love to see some of those things move here in the near future.”
Andringa and Ross were part of a Farmers for Free Trade webinar releasing ag policy recommendations for the Biden Administration including the prioritization of improvements to key infrastructure like broadband, roads, bridges, railways, ports and inland waterways.
