U.S. Ag Secretary Meets with Farmers at World Dairy Expo
Friday, October 4th, 2019 -- 7:39 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The top leader of the U.S. Department of Agriculture had a chance to meet with producers from America's Dairyland to answer questions and hear their concerns.During a town hall meeting at World Dairy Expo in Madison on Tuesday, Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue fielded an array of comments ranging from organic standards to the effectiveness of the Federal Marketing Order system. Trade was among the main topics during the forum, in which the secretary praised the recently signed Japan trade deal; and said he's also optimistic about the passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He said he felt confident that Speaker Pelosi will allow for a vote on USMCA and that both caucuses will pass it. He also encouraged dairy farmers to take advantage of the Dairy Margin Coverage program, calling it one of the most valuable tools the industry can utilize from the 2018 farm bill. When asked about the agency's stance on lab-grown and plant-based meat products, Perdue said he has his own opinions on the issue, but reminded the crowd that the USDA's role is not to 'take sides,' but rather to ensure that products being sold to the public are safe for consumption.
Meanwhile, the nation's top farm chief was joined by Wisconsin Ag Secretary Brad Pfaff, who thanked the secretary for the work his staff is doing to protect the standards of identity when it comes to American cheese brands being sold overseas. Pfaff also boasted that Wisconsin farmers sold their products to 147 different countries last year. After the dairy expo, Perdue spent his time in Wisconsin touring a local apple orchard, the USDA ARS Cereal Crops Research Lab, and made a stop at the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
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