FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 10, 2019
Contact: Andrew Jerome, 202.314.3106
ajerome@nfudc.org
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will purchase roughly 1.8 million pounds of pork products from Brazilian firm JBS, one of the world’s largest meatpackers, using funds appropriated by the Trump Administration to help American family farmers and ranchers weather the administration’s trade war.
National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson released the following quote in response to the news:
“The irony that this money that is supposed to be supporting American producers is actually going to the behemoth Brazilian meatpacking firm JBS is not lost on the American family farmer. USDA should not be sending money—directly or indirectly—to Brazil, the country that has benefitted the most from the President’s trade wars. In fact, because of our strained relations with China, Brazilian farmers have received a $2 price premium on their soybeans compared to American farmers.
“Farmers Union strongly urges USDA to reject bids by companies owned by JBS to receive money from the trade aid program. This money should instead be directed to the American farm families struggling with depressed prices and lost markets because of the administration’s reckless trade strategy.”
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To download an audio file of Roger Johnson’s quote, visit our website at nfu.org/audio.
About NFU
National Farmers Union advocates on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities. We envision a world in which farm families and their communities are respected, valued, and enjoy economic prosperity and social justice.
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