With domestic crop and livestock markets slumping and competitors pushing into export markets traditionally served by American farmers, it’s critical that Congress quickly approves the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP, Iowa Farm Bureau members emphasized last week in meetings with members of the Iowa Congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.

"We are really struggling now and I think TPP would give us a needed boost," Audubon County Farm Bureau member T.J. Wiemann said during the visits to meet lawmakers during the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s spring lobbying trip. "I think it’s really important for us to be here so maybe they will show some urgency about passing the deal," he said. "We really need to get this done."

Dubuque County Farm Bureau member Craig Recker agreed.

"TPP is really a big issue for us because we feed cattle and we need overseas markets," he said. "I have two sons who work with me, and I want a bigger market so they can continue to make a living."

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