USDA considering economic aid for farmers this fall, says secretary

Washington | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is working with Congress to evaluate whether economic aid might be needed for the nation’s farmers this fall amid trade disputes and record-high yields, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Monday.

U.S. farmers have missed out on billions in soybean sales to China as stalled trade talks halt exports, and the USDA’s recent forecast of a record corn crop this fall will likely weigh on a farm economy already saddled with low prices and rising fertilizer and seed costs.

“We are working with our colleagues in Congress and closely monitoring markets daily to evaluate the amount of additional assistance that might be needed this fall,” Rollins said at a conference of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Rogers, Arkansas.