The virtual roundtable featured groups in the agricultural export industry. NMPF and USDEC said they are pleased the supply chain issues adversely affecting US dairy exports are gaining broader attention.
“These issues warrant the focus of the entire federal government in order to address the negative economic effects on both businesses and consumers from these challenges,” said Castaneda.
“This discussion was a first positive step which we hope will continue to drive high-level attention to the obstacles affecting US supply chains and exports.”
Since the onset of COVID in early 2020, supply chains have been severely imbalanced, with significant consequences for many American industries. USDEC, NMPF, and other agriculture organizations and companies have been leading the policy push for supply chain improvements to mitigate congestion limiting US exports and in particular ensuring containers leave US ports full of agriculture products.
During a November 3 U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing, Mike Durkin, president and CEO of Leprino Foods, said, “This export crisis may well result in irreparable harm to American agriculture as customers around the world are questioning the US dairy industry’s reliability as a supplier.”
NMPF and USDEC expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share with the White House Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force how the Administration can help address the nation’s supply chain issues, and specifically, focus its attention on the challenges facing the US dairy industry, shippers, and exporters.
The organizations have also urged the Administration to convene a meeting with food and agriculture industry CEOs to discuss how the White House and Congress can take immediate action to implement additional measures, such as passing ocean shipping reform legislation, addressing critical transportation industry labor and shipping equipment shortages, and other steps that will help American agriculture producers reach their foreign markets effectively.
Source: dairyreporter.com
