Former National Cattlemen’s Beef Association economist nominated as chief agricultural negotiator

Jun 20, 2017

Greggory Doud also helped draft the 2012 Farm Bill

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.om

President Trump nominated Greggory Doud, president of the Commodity Markets Council, to be the chief agricultural negotiator with the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

If chosen, Doud would also hold the rank of ambassador.

Doud served as the chief economist for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

He also served as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, helping draft the 2012 Farm Bill. Doud held positions with the U.S. Wheat Associated and World Perspectives firm, a Washington-based market consulting organization.

He is the right person for the job, according to his colleagues.

“Doud is a farm policy veteran with a wealth of experience and a solid understanding of the vital role trade plays in the U.S. agriculture economy,” John Heisdorffer, vice president of the American Soybean Association, said in a June 20 statement.

 “Gregg was NCBA’s chief economist for eight years, and he understands as well as anybody the importance of exports for our industry,” Colin Woodall, senior vice president of government affairs for NCBA, said in a June 19 statement. “As important trade negotiations take place over NAFTA and hopefully a bilateral agreement with Japan, we look forward to working with Gregg and his team to ensure that the voice of American beef producers is heard loud and clear.”

As chief agricultural negotiator, Doud’s main responsibility would be to “conduct trade negotiations and to enforce trade agreements relating to United States agricultural products and services,” according to the United States Code.

Gregory Frazier, Allen Johnson, Richard Crowder, Dr. Islam Siddiqui and Darci Vetter have all held the position, which was created by the Trade and Development Act of 2000.