President Donald Trump will keynote the American Farm Bureau’s annual convention Sunday in Austin, Texas, on the heels of the signing of a partial trade agreement with China, Agri-Pulse has learned.
It will be the third year in a row that Trump has spoken to the nation’s largest farm organization.
Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He are scheduled on Wednesday to sign a "phase one" trade agreement in which China has pledged to buy at least $40 billion annually in U.S. farm commodities in 2020 and 2021.
Trump’s planned appearance this year also comes as the Senate is close to providing final congressional approval to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a renegotiated version of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
He is also expected to discuss the administration's work in “strengthening domestic energy policies and renegotiating trade deals,” a senior White House official said.
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The Trump administration is close to finalizing a new rule redefining what streams, wetlands and other areas fall under the jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. Repealing and replacing an Obama-era “waters of the U.S.” rule, as the jurisdiction regulations are known, has been a major priority of AFBF.
The Austin meeting will be the 101st annual meeting of AFBF.
“The American Farm Bureau is honored President Trump will return for a third consecutive year to speak with farmers and ranchers who work tirelessly to produce the quality food and fiber our country needs,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said in a statement to Agri-Pulse.
Duvall added the organization is grateful the president has made agricultural issues a priority and looks forward to welcoming him to Austin.
Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue and EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler will also be attending this year’s convention. They're slated to address AFBF members on Monday, Jan. 20.
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