Peterson: USDA Should Increase Commodity Purchases to Help Farmers, Food Banks

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson is urging the Trump administration to maximize the purchase of agricultural commodities for donation and distribution. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue Tuesday morning, Peterson said that purchases by USDA can "help ensure the production that no longer has a foodservice market can be made available to help our nation's foodbanks."

In the letter, Peterson urged the Administration to use the $9.5 billion in funding through the CARES Act,  the authorities of the Commodity Credit Corporation, and Section 32. Peterson says the agriculture economy was already in a fragile state from several years of adverse weather conditions and a challenging trade situation.

Peterson says farmers are frustrated with the inability to get their products to market, and to consumers who need food assistance. Despite being an essential service, Ag producers and their supply chain partners “are facing the total loss of some market segments and the inability to quickly change their marketing and processing capabilities to meet the new realities.”

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