WASHINGTON – Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee, welcomed this week the announcement that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will resume critical Farm Service Agency services for farmers and ranchers.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced that USDA would resume operations, including processing farm loans and Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC)/ Price Loss Coverage (PLC) payments starting Thursday, Oct. 23.

Hoeven discussed agriculture issues with President Donald Trump and key administration trade and treasury officials Tuesday. Hoeven said, following the meetings, that he is hopeful that there will be more forthcoming agriculture sales as a result of meetings with Chinese officials later this month.

He also met with Rollins to discuss livestock issues.

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, R-ND, and seven of her House Republican colleagues sent a letter to President Trump urging him to give American producers an opportunity to meet increased demand following reports that the United States may import beef from Argentina.

In the letter, they highlighted how American ranchers supply the world’s highest-quality beef and should not be undercut by foreign imports produced under lower standards. They called on the administration to ensure that any future trade decisions are made with “full transparency, sound science, and a firm commitment to the U.S. cattle industry.”

“We’ve all received a number of questions and calls from our constituents over the last few days, so we are asking for clarity on the administration’s long-term plans. Our farmers and ranchers stand ready to deliver on the President’s America-First agenda,” Fedorchak said. “North Dakotans take great pride in producing the safest, highest-quality beef in the world, and we should be building on that success. When it comes to beef, no one does it better than the United States.”

North Dakota Stockmen’s Association President Randy Schmitt, Rugby, also issued a response to the proposed imports.

“The North Dakota Stockmen’s Association maintains its position that the president’s plan to increase the volume of Argentine beef exports in an effort to drive down domestic retail prices is a faulty one that will have little to no impact on U.S. consumers, but do considerable damage to our markets during this peak cattle marketing period and beyond. Our organization has stood steadfast against policies that attempt to artificially manipulate the market. Supply and demand, not the government, should be what sets the market,” he said. “We implore President Trump to back away from his plan, as it risks damaging the livelihoods of American ranchers and would exacerbate the incredible trade imbalance that already exists between our countries,” he said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 22, a suite of actions to strengthen the American beef industry was unveiled by Rollins, along with Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler.

Since 2017, the United States has lost over 17% of family farms, more than 100,000 operations over the last decade, they said. The national herd is at a 75-year low while consumer demand for beef has grown 9% over the past decade.

Rollins said the USDA will immediately expedite deregulatory reforms, boost processing capacity, including getting more locally raised beef into schools, and work across the government to fix longstanding barriers for ranchers, such as outdated grazing restrictions.

“At Interior, the department is slashing red tape and restoring grazing access on public lands to support the livelihoods of hardworking Americans in the ranching industry,” Burgum said.

“The SBA is committed to doing its part by cutting burdensome regulations and supplying government-guaranteed loans to support our producers as they work to strengthen the American beef supply,” Loeffler said.

“We face a chronic disease epidemic in this country largely tied to the foods we eat,” Kennedy said. “Under President Trump, we are restoring whole foods as the foundation of the American diet and ending the decades-old stigma against natural saturated fat in beef and dairy products. We will strengthen America’s ranching industry so families can choose nutrient-dense, minimally processed foods. Bottom line: we cannot Make America Healthy Again without America’s farmers and ranchers.”