TURKISH AGRI.NEWS

Secretary Perdue’s Statement on National Ag Day... (Washington, D.C., March 24, 2020) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue issued the following statement regarding National Agriculture Day and President Donald J. Trump’s Proclamation recognizing the importance of America’s farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers: “Our farmers, ranchers, foresters and producers in America are feeding and clothing the world. Now more than ever it’s important that the American people not forget that. Our farmers are resilient and during these uncertain times they are still working, day in and day out, to produce what’s needed for our growing population,” said Secretary Perdue. “Today, on National Ag Day, I challenge the American public to keep our farmers, ranchers and producers on their minds – for all their work to provide us a safe, healthy and abundant food supply. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”

NFU Hosts 118th Annual Convention... More than 500 National Farmers Union (NFU) members from across the country gathered in Savannah, Georgia from March 1-3 for the organization's 118th Anniversary Convention. Over the course of the event, attendees engaged with industry experts, policymakers, thought leaders and fellow farmers on the issues that matter most to them, including farm economy, mental health, corporate consolidation in the agricultural sector, climate change and sustainability, and the success of the next generation of family farmers. Keynote remarks were delivered by Matt Paul, a nationally recognized expert in public affairs and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. The convention also featured a panel on black land loss and voting rights with the Federation of Southern Cooperative's executive director Cornelius Blanding and director of land retention and advocacy Monica Rainge, as well as Latrice Hill, national director of outreach for the Farm Servi...

Asked about the plight of dairy farmers in Wisconsin, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said, “[The] big get bigger and small go out and that’s kind of what we’ve seen here... Everyone will have to make their own decisions economically whether they can survive.” The Center for Rural Affairs was founded in 1973. Earl Butz was Secretary of Agriculture. Butz had a similar view, “Get big or get out.” Butz believed farm consolidation was inevitable.. The Center was founded on a different belief. We believe in our ability to come together to shape the future through policy change. We believe in widespread ownership of businesses and farmland. We believe those who work hard ought to have an opportunity to share in the ownership and prosperity their labor created. For 46 years, we have stood up for these beliefs... Unlike Perdue, we believe consolidation in agriculture is not inevitable. Instead, we understand it is the direct result of policy decisions we have made toge...