By Todd Neeley
DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) — With questions growing about China’s commitment to buy U.S. agriculture commodities as that country deals with the coronavirus outbreak, the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday urged the Trump administration to consider approving a third round of Market Facilitation Program payments.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told the committee during a hearing on the state of the agriculture economy that President Donald Trump’s tweet last week indicating another possible round of MFP was his way of letting farmers and ranchers know he’s willing to act if needed.
As part of the phase-one trade agreement with the U.S., China committed to buying $40 billion to $50 billion of ag products this year. Perdue told the committee the Chinese currently remain on track to fill that commitment.
Democrats on the committee questioned what they said was a regional bias in which producers received payments, a claim Perdue said was untrue.
