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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Calling agriculture the “heart and soul” of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts spent part of a speech on the Senate floor this week highlighting the importance of farming, ranching and renewable fuels to both Nebraska’s economy and the nation’s security.
Ricketts said Nebraska producers continue to face challenges ranging from low commodity prices and high input costs to drought and devastating wildfires, but praised farmers and ranchers for their resilience.
“We feed and fuel our great nation,” Ricketts said during the speech. “Food security is national security.”
The senator noted agriculture remains Nebraska’s top industry and said the state’s producers play a critical role in supplying food, fuel and exports across the globe.
Ricketts pointed to Nebraska’s cattle industry as one of the state’s biggest success stories.
He said Nebraska leads the nation in beef exports, shipping approximately $1.7 billion worth of beef products overseas annually.
He also noted the state has more than 6 million head of cattle and is home to the nation’s three highest beef-producing counties.
The Senate recently passed a resolution sponsored by Ricketts proclaiming May as Beef Month nationwide.
Ricketts also used the speech to emphasize Nebraska’s role in renewable fuels production.
He said Nebraska produces approximately 2.2 billion gallons of renewable fuels annually, creating jobs in rural communities while helping reduce dependence on foreign oil.
According to Ricketts, the renewable fuels industry displaces an estimated 640 million barrels of foreign oil each year.
“Our homegrown solution is biofuels,” he said.
Ricketts said ethanol blends also help consumers save money at the gas pump while supporting corn and soybean producers across the Midwest.
Much of the senator’s speech focused on international trade and the importance of export markets for Nebraska agriculture.
Ricketts said roughly onethird of everything produced in Nebraska is exported overseas, making international trade critical to the state’s economy. He described Nebraska as the nation’s fifth-largest agricultural exporting state.
He also referenced recent discussions involving additional agricultural purchases by Communist China, saying U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer indicated potential new purchases could total billions of dollars over the next several years. At the same time, Ricketts warned against relying too heavily on China as a trading partner. “Communist China, at the end of the day, is a bad trading partner,” Ricketts said, citing previous disputes involving corn shipments and beef processing restrictions. To address those concerns, Ricketts announced he is introducing what he calls the MARKET Act, legislation designed to help the United States identify and expand agricultural export markets beyond China.
Ricketts said the goal is to strengthen long-term opportunities for farmers and ranchers while protecting Nebraska agriculture from future trade disruptions.
“I’m proud of our farmers and ranchers,” he said. “They do a great job of feeding our great nation.”
