U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced further details of the $16 billion package aimed at supporting American farmers while the Administration continues to work on trade deals. Eligible U.S. pork producers will receive $11 per head based on inventory between April 1-May 15, 2019. The USDA also announced it will make pork purchases of $208 million to support its programs for the food insecure.

Following the announcement, National Pork Producers Council president David Herring, a producer from Lillington, N.C., issued the following statement:

“U.S. pork producers are highly dependent on export markets, shipping more than 25% of production to foreign markets. We are grateful to the Trump administration for providing partial relief as hog farmers have incurred significant losses due to trade disputes that have lingered for more than a year.

“U.S. pork is the most affordable, highest quality and safest in the world and our top objective remains the same: We seek the chance to compete on a level playing field in markets around the globe. Our top priorities are an end to the trade dispute with China, where retaliatory tariffs are preventing U.S. pork from fully capitalizing on a historic sales opportunity created by the outbreak of African swine fever in the world's largest pork-consuming nation, and a trade agreement with Japan, where U.S. pork is losing market share due to trade agreements Japan has recently formed with the EU and other international competitors.”

USDA's second trade retaliation relief package will distribute $14.5 billion dedicated to producer payments, $1.4 billion for commodity purchases and $100 million through its Agricultural Trade Promotion Program to help U.S. farmers and ranchers identify and access new export markets. Sign up for the program begins Monday, July 29 and ends Dec. 6, 2019.

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