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The organization known as Farmers for Free Trade gathered on Tuesday in San Antonio to stress the importance of the renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which undergoes a review by all three countries this year.
The farmers said renewal of the agreement is critical to the U.S. farm industry.
"USMCA is the foundation of American agricultural trade, supporting farmers in every corner of the country," said Brian Kuehl, executive director of Farmers for Free Trade. "Mexico and Canada are our top two agricultural export markets, accounting for over $58 billion in annual exports.
He said with the renewal period, it's important that farmers have the opportunity to tell their elected leaders how critical the agreement is to their operations and their communities.
Farmer Charles Ring has grown cotton, corn, and sorghum near Corpus Christi for nearly half a century. He said higher shelf prices can be blamed on costs associated with getting goods from farm to market.
"They're because of everything between me and the store shelves," he said about the rising costs.
Chris O'Connor is a manager for Willimar Cotton and Grain in Raymondville and agrees with Ring and explains further.
"High beef prices is supply and demand," he said. "The rest of the food on your plate is inputs in my opinion. Insurance, logistics, petroleum costs." Although he said petroleum costs have been improving.
O'Connor added inflation rises like "a rocket" and drops like a "feather," and also blamed it for high grocery prices.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones welcomed the organization to the Alamo City.
She told Texas Public Radio she hopes the Supreme Court ruling against tariffs will eventually mean lower grocery prices.
"You know, people have recognized that these tariffs are things that need to be used strategically," she said. "That's not necessarily what we have seen. They have driven up costs significantly in our community."
