Perdue to Reuters: Farmer Aid May be Smaller Than Announced

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) may end up making the farmer aid plan drawn up by the administration smaller than originally estimated, USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue told Reuters in an interview.As the agency takes into account the USMCA, that could affect the total, he noted, adding that talks with Mexico and Canada on removing the steel and aluminum import duties – and presumably their retaliatory actions against US products including ag goods – were just getting started.Further, Perdue also indicated he expected the rule to allow year-round sales of E15 would be ready before the 2019 driving season begins. "Year-round sale of E15 will increase demand for corn, which is obviously good for growers," Purdue said in a statement.