The National Corn Growers Association this week started delivering letters from over 6300 corn farmers from across the country to members of Congress urging them to take up and pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement before the end of the year.

“America’s farmers and ranchers need Congress to step up and pass TPP now,” said Chip Bowling, president of the National Corn Growers Association and a farmer from Maryland. “At a time when the farm economy is struggling, exports represent a rare bright spot for American agriculture. America’s farmers and ranchers stand ready to share our bounty and meet the challenge of feeding and fueling a growing world. But we can’t do that without trade agreements like TPP.”

Also this week, the American Farm Bureau Federation, joined the Coalition of Services Industries, the Information Technology Industry Council and the National Association of Manufacturers in a letter asking the president and congressional leadership to work together to approve TPP this year.

“As the most productive industries in the world, our enterprises need access to new consumers and markets to sustain, let alone grow, production and good-paying jobs,” the groups wrote. “Yet, U.S. industries face increasing competition as our global competitors are benefitting from trade deals that exclude and disadvantage the United States. …The status quo is not acceptable for industries that need new markets to sustain and grow our workforces in the United States.”

Today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will discuss the economic impact of international trade for the agricultural community and the necessity of passing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) during keynote remarks at the Global Leaders Forum on Agriculture and Trade in Omaha. After Vilsack’s remarks, Agriculture Acting Deputy Secretary Michael Scuse will participate in a panel discussion on agriculture and trade with international agricultural leaders.

The trade agreement between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim countries was signed by President Obama earlier this year, but still must be voted on by Congress.