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Presidential candidates weigh in on agricultural issues

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2016 hillary clinton donald trumpBoth major-party presidential nominees have answered some of U.S. farmers’ burning questions related to policies affecting agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation asked Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump to share their positions on more than a half-dozen topics. Every four years, the nation’s largest farm advocacy organization asks presidential nominees about issues of primary concern to American farmers and ranchers.

This year the candidates explained their stances on biotechnology, trade, immigration reform, regulatory reform, food safety and more. The fact that they took time “in the throes of this very competitive election season to go into such detail in their responses says as much about the importance of these issues and the farmers and ranchers who care about them as it does about Clinton’s and Trump’s political platforms,” said an AFBF statement.

All of the questions and answers can be viewed at fbnews.fb.org/Templates/Article.aspx?id=40466.

Regarding the next federal farm bill, both candidates said they are in favor of reauthorizing that legislation. Clinton said she would double funding for the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development program and strengthen U.S. Department of Agriculture grant programs. Trump said he has assembled an agriculture advisory committee of rural leaders who would serve agricultural communities.

On the topic of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, which AFBF supports, Trump said he strongly opposes the agreement as drafted, and Clinton said she also is opposed to the TPP as written.

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