Roads, Rivers, And Rail: Improving Infrastructure At Every Level For Agriculture
November 2, 2015 October is a wonderfully predictable month of naturally recurring cycles here at Meister. Our baseball team draws the curtain on another failing season, while our football team crushes our hopes for glory barely six weeks into its campaign. The leaves change in breathtaking hues in a noble but futile attempt to distract us from the dropping temperatures. The budgeting process, in all its splendor, kicks into high gear.
Then, of course, there’s the PACE Advisory Council meeting, which has taken place every October since 1994.
Back then, PACE was developed as a broader initiative to identify and discuss issues related to regulatory compliance and general professionalism in ag retailing. We wanted to share what the industry was doing well, and challenge it to improve what was still lacking.
To help us, we recruited a tremendous group of top-level managers across the full spectrum of agriculture, along with retail and distribution management, industry experts and consultants, and some leading growers to keep us grounded.
It’s been a privilege to work with this group, which has continued to evolve as far as membership and representation with each meeting, and the value it provides is priceless. And last month’s meeting was no exception.
Of course, the early discussions centered around the current downturn in the ag economy, and speculation as to how long it might last. Not surprisingly, the view from equipment folks — the first to experience the pullback — was that we’re at the low ebb of the market. From the seed, crop protection, and retailers, the trough is still in the distance as growers go through their planning regimens for 2016 with less on the balance sheet along with lower crop prices and higher overall production costs.
There were plenty of other issues discussed which we use to gauge against our editorial plan for the year ahead, but one that caught my ear was a discussion of infrastructure.
I’ve gotten on my sandbox quite a lot this year in cocktail conversations and conference coffee breaks about the importance of championing infrastructure investments and improvements. It started earlier this year during a dinner I had with Nick Tindall of the Equipment Manufacturers Association. He was telling me about a proposed initiative its membership was considering that would formalize the championing of infrastructure improvements a significant focus of work on the Beltway.
I think this is a great idea, and well overdue. A PACE panelist recounted a recent trip to Brazil, where infrastructure is still a significant growth-limiting factor for agriculture. It’s a critical competitive advantage we have here in the U.S., and we need it to stay strong.
In a time when we can’t seem to agree on anything the government can do to make America stronger, improving infrastructure at every level — more passable roadways, improved rail logistics and safety, and rivers that are fully navigable by highly efficient barge traffic — is a smart use of resources.
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