Iowa Ag Secretary Naig Visits Northeast Iowa, Urges More Use of Resources at Home

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig made several stops in northeast Iowa last week (04.16), including a tour of Upper Iowa Beef in Lime Springs. where he talked with company officials on concerns over the impacts of tariffs.

Naig says the U.S. has not been treated fairly with excessive tariffs on our country’s exports and new tariffs on foreign imports opens the door to negotiate a level playing field. However, if that leads to “pain in the prices that producers are receiving,” he hopes the USDA will make good on its promises to provide compensation to farmers.

Naig also visited Waucoma for the annual meeting of the Homeland Energy Solutions ethanol plant, which has signed on with the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. While there are concerns the project is threatened by South Dakota’s denial of the use of eminent domain, Naig says avenues still remain to expand ethanol markets.

Naig adds that, while there are challenges, he encourages producers to control their own destiny as much as possible.

Naig wrapped up his tour at  Joia Food and Fiber Farm, west of Charles City, one of the first members in the Choose Iowa program, the state’s signature brand for Iowa grown, raised, made food, beverages, and ag products.