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Missouri farmer welcomes China soybean purchases, says strong markets matter

A farmer in the Missouri Bootheel says it’s good to see China buying more U.S. soybeans.

“I think what’s good for soybeans is good for cotton, what’s good for cotton is good for rice and what’s good for the cattle industry,” says Jason Bean, a farmer in Pemiscot County. “We just want these markets to turnaround and get back to a good market that we can sustain what we’re growing and you know, sustain our financial stability there on the on the farm.”

China and unknown destinations continue to purchase U.S. soybeans.While China makes purchases, Congress continues to consider additional economic assistance for farmers.

U.S. House Ag Committee Chairman GT Thompson recently told Brownfield “If the best predictor of future performance is past performance, two years ago we did that really starting in mid-December, We got it done by the end of December, that very first economic assistance that was ever done.”

Thompson says he wants specialty crop growers, along with sawmills and forest products to get support if Congress provides more aid.

Bean says he thinks more aid is likely, but farmers would rather have strong markets than government assistance.