Agricultural News
USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue Talks Farm Economy With House Ag Committee
Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:36:58 CST
The House Ag Committee held a hearing on Wednesday- looking at the farm economy of the United States. The sole witness for the hearing was USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue. Perdue acknowledged to the Committee that 2019 was a tough year- but adds that Federal Farm Payments- the Fedreal Farm Bill Safety Net, Ad Hoc Disaster Payments and the Market Facilitation Program payments helped deliver an 11.7% increase in net farm income in 2019 versus 2018.
Perdue delivered the same message to the Committee that he hold Commodity Classic last week and the National Farmers Union this week not to expect a third MFP program in 2020- and that the only way a MFP Program might happen in 2020 is that trade does not happen as anticipated based on the trade deals that the Trump Administration have negotiated. Perdue says that the MFP is not a price spport program- that if we get the sales from our trading partners happening but prices don't go up- there would be no MFP safety net.
Perdue talked about looking forward to seeing better days ahead from the trade deals- looking for trade and not aid. He also talked about the USDA rolling out help for retailers to move from E-10 to E-15 sales- helping farmers in seling more gallons of ethanol.
Perdue also mentioned rural broadband, ag research and the implementing of the 2018 Farm Bill in his prepared remarks.
Watch Secretary Perdue's comments and his Q&A with the Committee by clicking on the PLAY button in the Video Box below.
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