Fedorchak requests President Trump deliver immediate relief for North Dakota farmers

Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak (R-ND) today requested President Donald Trump provide immediate relief for North Dakota soybean farmers through a bridge payment program. As the state's At-Large Congresswoman, she represents 25,000 family farms who are suffering the consequences of China’s unfair trade practices.  

In her letter, Fedorchak states, “In the most recent crop year, North Dakota farmers planted more than 6.6 million acres of soybeans and harvested over 245 million bushels, with a gross value of nearly $2.4 billion at current market prices. As the westernmost soybean producing region in the Great Plains, North Dakota ships nearly two-thirds of its soybeans to China through Pacific Northwest ports. However, those sales have fallen to virtually zero as trade tensions have frozen shipments to our farmers’ largest customer.” 

Fedorchak continues, “Accounting for basis, local North Dakota soybean prices are at or below $8.65 per bushel, almost $2 less than farmers’ break-even price. In some cases, family farms are incurring losses that reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These numbers represent more than balance-sheet stress; they threaten the survival of family farms that have been the backbone of North Dakota for generations.” 

She calls on the administration to create a bridge payment program, similar to the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) in 2019, to give farmers liquidity and certainty heading into the next crop year.  

“North Dakota farmers want robust markets, not government relief, and while I fully expect your negotiations to result in greater market access in the long-term, I urge you to consider immediate support for farmers who are suffering the consequences of China’s nefarious actions,” Fedorchak writes. 

Since trade negotiations with China began in February, Fedorchak has repeatedly pressed administration officials to work in the best interests of North Dakota producers. She has met with the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and USDA officials, and key agriculture leaders multiple times, consistently raising the urgent need for both long-term market expansion and short-term relief.  

Most recently, she spoke out against Argentina’s sale of soybeans to China, warning it undermines U.S. trade negotiations with China and hurts North Dakota farmers. “Argentina making a deal with China at the same time the U.S. provided financial assistance to stabilize their economy is a bitter pill for North Dakota soybean farmers to swallow,” Fedorchak said. 

In addition to calling for immediate relief, Fedorchak is pursuing a comprehensive agenda to strengthen North Dakota agriculture by: 

Fedorchak closes her letter by highlighting her shared goal with the President: “In the long-term, I know we share the same objective: to make American agriculture more resilient and competitive. That is what our producers want. I stand ready to work with your administration to re-open international markets, expand domestic markets and processing opportunities, and deliver relief quickly and responsibly to the farmers who need it most. North Dakota’s farmers feed and fuel the world, and they deserve our full support against China’s actions.”   

###