GRAND FORKS — Market access, tariffs and competition were a few of the topics explored during a visit by Ambassador Julie Callahan, U.S. chief agricultural negotiator, hosted by U.S. Rep. Julie Fedorchak.
Callahan said talking with stakeholders, farmers and agriculture leaders gives her information to use in negotiations with trading partners as the U.S. resets the stage for the open market for agriculture.
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“We’re just getting started,” she said.
On Wednesday, Aug. 19, Fedorchak took Callahan to Aneta and Grand Forks to talk with local ag leaders. The day started with a visit to Perkins Honey Farm in Aneta for a tour led by Doug Perkins and a conversation with other honey farmers in the state. They then headed to Grand Forks for a roundtable discussion, followed by a tour of the North Dakota Mill and Elevator led by Dillon Janousek, vice president of production operations.
Honey farms and the North Dakota Mill and Elevator were key points to visit for their importance in North Dakota. North Dakota produces the most honey out of any state, and the state Mill and Elevator is the only state-owned and operated mill in the country. North Dakota is also the lead producer of spring wheat in the country.
Callahan said the U.S. in January 2025 had a $6.5 billion agricultural trade deficit, at that time projected to be $50 billion by the end of 2025. The Trump administration initiated a set of directives to reset trade relationships based on reciprocity.
Common concerns from those Callahan and Fedorchak spoke with involved market access, tariffs, production costs and imports. From imported products depressing prices to opening markets for products. Including the roundtable, Callahan and Fedorchak spoke with representatives of farmers focused on honey, grain, dairy, beef, potatoes, soybeans, sugar and more.
Matt Perdue, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union, said a lot of conversations start with how input costs (production costs) are high and commodity prices (market prices) are low. A third point to that discussion, he said, is that the future is uncertain.
“I appreciate the work you're doing to get us access to new markets and hopefully boost those commodity prices,” he said. “I think as we move forward, really addressing some of the uncertainty that persists in our markets is really important, and making sure that we have stable trade relationships is key.”
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Callahan said the Office of the United States Trade Representative is looking at commodities across the board for windows of opportunity for market access.
Fedorchak said legislators need the partnership of ag leaders to bring forward the best solutions. It is a challenging time, she said, and speaking with producers yields a number of topics.
“There’s a litany of things that we talk about and things that we are trying to work on,” she said. “The top three, currently, are: we need to reduce costs, we need to improve prices and we need more markets.
“We’re excited about the opportunities for agriculture, but we have to get things right.”