"I probably know more (than) any Treasury secretary about agriculture since the 1800s, and I can tell you that what farmers need is certainty,"
"We are going to create this bridge because, again, agriculture is all about the future, you've got to start financing for planting next year, when things will be very good."
"The Chinese actually used our soybean farmers as pawns in the trade negotiations,"
Bessent claimed extensive agricultural knowledge and stressed that farmers require certainty provided by a long-term purchase agreement with China announced in October. Chinese buyers had paused soybean purchases for months, depriving U.S. growers of their largest export market. The government plans a short-term "bridge" payment to support farmers while trade deals are finalized and to help finance planting for the next season. Bessent said China is now honoring commitments and buying crops but maintained that interim aid remains necessary. Bessent also dismissed an affordability crisis, saying real incomes are rising and tariffs are not driving inflation. It remains unclear how large the aid will be or what conditions will apply.
Read at Axios
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