Supply chain slowdowns have presented big challenges for every sector of U.S. agriculture. Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst says she and her colleagues have asked the USDA and Secretary Tom Vilsack to look into the situation.
“We have called on him to address some of the issues in the supply chain crisis. And so, I sent a letter to our Ag Committee chairwoman, Debbie Stabenow, asking for a hearing with Secretary Vilsack at USDA to examine the recent supply chain crisis and to also probe deeper into the Biden administration’s plan to address supply chain failures as it relates to our ag industry. So, we’re really asking them to come forward and let’s be transparent. Let’s talk about what’s going on and the solutions to what we’re experiencing in the supply chain. This is a crisis. It is an urgent crisis, and we need to know how Secretary Vilsack is going to address this.”
Ernst says she isn’t sure why the issue keeps dragging on with no apparent solutions in sight.
“This is where the Biden administration and Secretary Vilsack will point the finger and say it’s all COVID-19. But if you take a look, a much broader spectrum, the overregulation of industry and our labor shortages are really being exacerbated by their policies, and they are as much or, in some cases, even more to blame than the pandemic for this crisis. So, a lot of the policies that have been put in place encourage people to stay home rather than returning to work.”
The situation has no chance of getting fixed if people aren’t getting back to work.
“If you don’t have folks working, making goods, delivering goods, we know that the supply chain crisis is going to continue. So, it is time at Secretary Vilsack come before the Ag Committee. He’s only been in front of us one time this year, and he did it virtually. And so, it’s time he actually comes to the Senate and faces the committee. We need solutions. We need them to understand that we are very concerned about this crisis right now.”
Supply chain issues have already impacted prices and availability of fertilizer and herbicide. You can hear more about the impact to herbicides with Purdue Professor of Weed Science Dr. Bill Johnson in the latest Purdue Crop Chat Podcast below.
Source: NAFB News Service