Matt Perdue, government relations director for the North Dakota Farmers Union, on April 22 told U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins that staff cuts to the USDA have farmers worried they won’t get the help they need in securing federal loans.
“Earlier this year, we had a farm loans webinar. That same webinar last year had 17 attendees. This year it had 107 and I think that is an indication of the financial stress and uncertainty out there,” Perdue said. “I think it also is an indication of how important FSA (Farm Service Agency) farm loans are for producers when times get tough.”
Rollins, who held a roundtable discussion with farm groups in Fargo, said she understands the concerns as USDA shrinks its workforce but she tried to offer some reassurances.
She said USDA workers were told, “If you are FSA or frontline or with the farmers, you are not eligible to take early retirement.”
Rollins, invited by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND), listened to the discussion from ag groups, state officials and North Dakota State University (NDSU) representatives at a gathering on the NDSU campus. Rollins announced during the event that USDA was releasing $340 million in disaster assistance for farmers and rural communities impacted by natural disasters.
Rollins also repeated an announcement of a new sugar tariff. She said that through Sept. 30, products with more than 65% sugar content will face an additional tariff of 33%.
“President Trump loves to deploy tariffs,” Rollins said.
Rollins planned to visit a processing plant for sugar beets, a key specialty crop in the Red River Valley.
Tariffs, trade and how specialty crops might be treated in the farm bill were among the topics covered. Congress has not been able to reach an agreement on a new farm bill, last year extending the previous version.
On trade, North Dakota Agriculture Secretary Doug Goehring said the last four years have been disappointing for ag trade and the U.S. should “reengage with the world.”
Rollins said she could not believe how “stunningly bad” the U.S. was treated on the world stage.
Participants also emphasized the importance of decreasing regulation on farmers.
Ryan Ellis, a farmer and president of the North Dakota Grain Growers, described the Environmental Protection Agency’s enforcement of the Endangered Species Act to be “terrifying.”
Rollins was scheduled to get a closeup look at ag research at Grand Farm, a public-private collaboration west of Fargo near Casselton. — Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor
Republished under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
