Peace Garden News

Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) recently organized a virtual roundtable meeting with House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and agricultural leaders from North Dakota. The session addressed several pressing issues faced by local agricultural producers, including trade uncertainties, cumbersome regulations, and the necessity of a 5-year Farm Bill.

The roundtable featured participation from prominent agricultural organizations such as the North Dakota Farm Bureau, North Dakota Farmers Union, North Dakota Soybean Growers, and North Dakota Grain Growers, among others.

In her remarks, Fedorchak emphasized the critical role of North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers, stating, "North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our economy and our communities." She further stressed the importance of these discussions for addressing the challenges of "rising input costs, decreasing prices, and market uncertainty."

Chairman Thompson pledged his commitment to passing a robust Farm Bill promptly. He highlighted the need to enhance crop insurance, increase reference prices, and boost funding for the market access programs (MAP) and foreign market development program (FMD). Thompson also assured of increasing investment in research and extending key provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Fedorchak expressed gratitude to Thompson for his dedication to rural America. She stated, “Thank you, Chairman Thompson, for your strong commitment to rural America and for taking time to hear directly from North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers. We look forward to having you out to North Dakota for a ‘boots and blue jeans’ conversation soon.”