NC Farm Leader John Pickler Disavows Deceptive Op-Ed

North Carolina Corn Growers Association President John Pickler penned a letter to Members of North Carolina’s Agriculture Community.

The letter reads:

As President of the North Carolina Corn Growers Association, I understand that my name and position must be trusted to represent the needs and best interests of corn growers across the state. Furthermore, I recognize the great responsibility the association carries as part of North Carolina’s exceptionally strong and allied agricultural community.

 That’s why I was disappointed by the confusion created when NC Political News published an editorial under my name espousing opinions neither I nor the North Carolina Corn Growers Association endorses. The op-ed “Double Drawback Loophole Harms North Carolina Farmers, Time to Close It,” in no way reflects my views or the views of the North Carolina Corn Growers Association. We have no affiliation with this editorial or participation with NC Political News, and regret whatever misunderstanding that led to this column’s publication.

Sincerely,

John Pickler, President

North Carolina Corn Growers Association

When the Blue Ridge Times was alerted to Pickler’s letter, we reached out to NC Political News to learn about their approval process and how this op-ed got published. After we reached out, the op-ed disappeared from the NC Political News website.

It remains unclear whether this situation is the result of an accidental error or if something more nefarious was afoot. We will update the story if more information becomes available.

Situational Awareness.

Previously, it was believed that John Pickler was the only grower in support of repealing duty drawback protections. However, his letter dispelling this op-ed highlights the farm community’s unified opposition. Currently, Our Ag Future, an initiative of the NC Chamber to support farmers, is running an advertising campaign to thank Senators Tillis and Budd for their support of duty drawback protection, which protects thousands of North Carolina farm jobs.