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USDA pushes for second round of trade aid payments

Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says he expects the second round of Market Facilitation Program payments to be made “very soon”.

Perdue told reporters he will be meeting today (Friday) with the head of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to discuss the issue.

“OMB and director Mulvaney are always looking to hold on to money, and I understand that,” Perdue said. “(But) this is a commitment that the President had made.”

Although there have been some positive developments, including the trade truce with China and the signing of the USMCA, Perdue said farmers are still feeling the impact of the various trade disputes.

“We still even have the retaliatory tariffs between Canada and Mexico, which we are working feverishly to overcome,” he said.

Deputy Ag Secretary Steve Censky says USDA is pushing for the trade aid payments to be made as soon as possible.

“We know that farmers are going to be starting to visit with their bankers to talk about financing for next year coming up either now or right after the first of the year,” Censky said, “and so the time is now to make that announcement and get those payments made.”

Censky made those comments Thursday during a stop in Des Moines.

AUDIO: Excerpts from Censky’s news conference with reporters

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