Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried says President Donald Trump’s current trade policies are severely hurting Florida’s farmers.
“As someone who’s worked side by side with Florida’s farmers, I know how much pride they take in their work and how much they’ve endured,” Fried said. “Now, Donald Trump’s reckless trade wars and economic chaos have left too many of them wondering whether they can even keep their farms.”
Agriculture producers issued rare statements this month that were heavily critical of Trump’s trade policies. In particular, a plan to import beef from Argentina, which Trump announced following talks with conservative Argentinean President Javier Milei, drew scorn from the Florida Cattlemen’s Association.
“The Administration’s plan to import more Argentinian beef to lower prices threatens American cattle producers,” reads a statement the group issued on its Facebook page.
“Tight cattle supplies and high input costs — not lack of imports — are driving current prices. U.S. ranchers are rebuilding herds and investing heavily in the future of our beef supply. The federal government should let the free market work instead of intervening in cattle markets or rewarding countries that don’t meet our animal health and food safety standards.”
Trump defended the policies after that criticism from the Florida group.
“The Cattle Ranchers, who I love, don’t understand that the only reason they are doing so well, for the first time in decades, is because I put Tariffs on cattle coming into the United States, including a 50% Tariff on Brazil,” he said.
“If it weren’t for me, they would be doing just as they’ve done for the past 20 years. Terrible! It would be nice if they would understand that, but they also have to get their prices down, because the consumer is a very big factor in my thinking, also!”
Importantly, the Senate in a rare rebuke of Trump this week shot down those tariffs on Brazil. Both of Florida’s Senators, U.S. Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott, backed the Trump policy.
While agriculture producers in Florida have commonly supported Republican leaders, Fried has a history of working with the industry. Fried served four years as Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner, the last Democrat elected to statewide office in 2018. She did not seek re-election in 2022, instead pursuing an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for Governor.
“Florida ranks number nine in beef cattle production in the US and has a significant impact on Florida’s economy. As your past Commissioner of Agriculture, I have and will always stand with our ranchers,” she posted on X the same day the party issued her statement of trade policies.
Through her time in the Florida Cabinet, Fried advocated for federal policies protecting Florida agriculture producers, both during the second half of Trump’s first term and the first half of President Joe Biden’s term.
“When I was Commissioner of Agriculture, I saw firsthand how fragile the farm economy can be and how vital it is to support producers with steady markets and smart policies,” she said. “Farmers don’t want bailouts or band-aids. They deserve a president who fights for them, not one who trades away their livelihoods for political games.”