POLITICS JANUARY 20, 2020 / 4:31 PM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

U.S. Agriculture Secretary says no need for more farm aid after China trade deal

Mark Weinraub
3 MIN READ

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - With China poised to increase purchases of U.S. agricultural goods this year as part of a Phase 1 China trade deal, the U.S. Agriculture Secretary said on Monday there is no need for a third year of trade-related aid for farmers.

Farmers have increasingly relied on aid from the U.S. government to survive during the past two years as exports have lagged throughout the U.S.-China trade war. But USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue said China will soon begin buying U.S. farm goods to meet the $40 billion in agricultural purchase agreements it made, alleviating growers’ need for more aid.

China, which typically buys the bulk of its U.S. agriculture products during the fall and early winter, will likely change the timing of its purchases, Perdue said.

“If China is going to achieve that, and we believe they are, we think they have to buy earlier than the traditional export season from the United States,” said Perdue, speaking at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual convention.

His remarks came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the convention, promising farmers that the deal will be good for them.

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