TRADE MITIGATION PACKAGE PROVIDES NECESSARY SUPPORT TO US DRY BEAN INDUSTRY

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 23, 2019
Portland, OR

U.S. dry bean growers and producers feeling the impact of ongoing global trade retaliation will soon feel relief with Secretary Perdue’s announcement of a new package of support to farmers. “While we remain hopeful that we can soon reach deals to resume trade flows, we are very grateful for this support from the administration through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help our industry stay productive during this challenging time. Our public/private partnership with USDA remains strong and we remain committed to working through this together,” noted Deon Maasjo, of Kelley Bean Company in Oakes, North Dakota and President of USDBC.

Rebecca Bratter, USDBC Executive Director emphasized, “The first tranche of trade mitigation support announced last year has already helped the U.S. dry bean industry by allowing us to contribute our dry beans to various domestic food assistance programs, and expand our presence into several new dynamic markets around the world. We look forward to these new global trade programs gaining a foothold and helping us increase our exports in the coming year.”

USDBC is encouraged that for the first time, the new trade mitigation package includes dry bean growers in the Market Facilitation Fund, a $14.5 billion dollar direct payment program administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). As a specialty crop, the dry bean industry is particularly sensitive to trade flows, which can impact business decisions over a very short time period. “We remain optimistic that this comprehensive suite of actions taken by the USDA to support all farmers and producers, will keep us on track until we get better deals with our trade partners,” said Clint Stoutenburg, of Stoutenburg Farms in Sandusky Michigan, and Vice President of USDBC.

For more information please contact the US Dry Bean Council at info@.

The U.S. Dry Beans Council (USDBC) was formed over forty years ago to represent farmers, dealers and corporate members who grow, handle, export and process dry beans grown in the United States. The purpose and mission of the USDBC is to provide a unified voice for the dry bean industry, and to promote the healthy attributes of our food to increase the consumption of beans grown in the United States. The USDBC strives to be successful in representing the diverse interests of the U.S. dry bean producers, handlers and processors, affecting the U.S. industry’s ability to compete both domestically and globally.