03.23.17

Hoeven: Perdue Agrees to Visit North Dakota, See Agricultural Research, Meet with Producers

At Confirmation Hearing, Senator Highlights Need to Build Coalition for Next Farm Bill, Maintain Strong Crop Insurance and Countercyclical Safety Net

WASHINGTON – At a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing today, Senator John Hoeven invited former Governor George “Sonny” Perdue, the nominee to be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, to North Dakota to meet with producers and see firsthand the innovative agricultural research being conducted at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and around the state.

“Farm country is facing real challenges due to low commodity prices, which is why it’s so important that we confirm Governor Perdue, who will be a strong advocate for rural America,” said Hoeven. “We appreciate Sonny’s commitment to visit North Dakota and see the good work being done by producers and Ag researchers in our state. Some of the key things we talked about today are support for the ag budget and the importance of building a coalition to pass a strong farm bill with good risk management tools.” 

At the hearing, Hoeven enlisted Perdue’s support for priorities, including: 

  • Building a North, South, Midwest coalition to pass a new farm bill
  • Maintaining strong crop insurance options
  • Updating Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) to ensure the countercyclical safety net works for farmers and ranchers
  • Supporting the no-cost sugar program
  • Providing flexibility in school nutrition programs to ensure that schools can both meet their budgets and serve nutritious foods that students will eat

Hoeven plays a key role in shaping the nation’s agriculture policy as a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee. Hoeven also served on the Senate-House Conference Committee that crafted the final farm bill of 2014.

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