USDA official talks to VW County farmers

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

United States Agriculture Department Trade Under Secretary Ted McKinney was in Van Wert County on Friday to talk to local farmers about agricultural trade policy and its impact on them. 

McKinney met with a group of local ag producers at the residence of Mike Heffelfinger, 13256 Greenville Road, who with his brother operates a grain farming operation in the county.

Among the topics covered was whether China, one of the U.S.’s largest trading partners, would honor its trade agreement pledge to purchase $36.5 billion worth of agricultural products from American farmers.

“I can tell you they’re rocking and rolling right now,” McKinney said of China’s ag purchases, although he added USDA won’t know whether China meets the $36.5 billion total until the end of the year. 

The USDA under secretary did note that commodity prices indicate heavy purchasing of American ag commodities.

“I mean look at the price of so many of our commodities. Here in Ohio, you got to look at corn and soybeans, pork, poultry, maybe some other things,” McKinney said. “There is very significant buying going on, so I’m going to take that. I’ll smile, say yes, thank you, and keep moving.”

The federal ag official was accompanied on Friday by U.S. Representative Bob Latta, whose has noted in the past that his 5th Congressional District is the largest farming district in Ohio. Latta talked about the importance of ensuring that foreign markets are open to U.S. farmers, while also making sure American farmers maintain their advantage over foreign competitors.

McKinney, who grew up on his family’s farm near Tipton, Indiana, and was a former state and national FFA officer in high school, also visited Universal Lettering in Van Wert, where the FFA jackets McKinney and other FFA members have worn going back to the 1930s, are manufactured.

The USDA under secretary, who was director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture before assuming his present position, had also worked 33 years in the agribusiness sector prior to that.