It is safe to say that we aren?t expecting any great news to come from this COVID-19 pandemic. It is hurting economies and individuals around the globe. It is because of this that American agriculture might have a chance to see some gains in our exports to a market that we thought we were going to have difficulties with in 2020, and that is in the European markets.
You never want to rejoice in anyone?s downfall. However, you also want to make hay when the sun shines. That is the opportunity we have because of COVID-19?s effects globally. The European Union (EU) is facing issues of its own. France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Britain are all short seasonal farm employees that normally come from Eastern Europe. This is all due to travel restrictions. This is putting the EU?s food self-sufficiency at risk. Dave Salmonsen is a trade advisor for the American Farm Bureau Federation. He says this may be an opportunity for American Ag exports.
The American Ag sector is facing a tightened supply of seasonal workers as well, but the U.S. State Department has eased restrictions on those visa applications.
With the EU dropping back on its own exports, there may also be an opportunity for us to gain a foothold in global markets where the EU has had dominance.
There is a global shift happening because of the Coronavirus outbreak. Every country is being affected. How the American Ag economy will weather this storm depends on our ability to grab ahold of opportunities presented
