FARGO, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, has announced the agenda for U.S. Secretary Sonny Perdue’s visit to North Dakota on Friday, March 9. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Congressman Kevin Cramer and Governor Doug Burgum will also be in attendance. The upcoming visit fulfills a commitment Hoeven secured from Secretary Perdue to come to North Dakota to hear from the state’s farmers, ranchers, commodity groups and agriculture researchers.

 

In the morning, the senator and secretary will tour the Red River Valley Agriculture Research Center in Fargo followed by a roundtable with agriculture producers and commodity groups at the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Agricultural Experiment Station (AES). Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will hold a media availability following the roundtable.

 

Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will then attend a Collegiate Farm Bureau luncheon and meet with students pursuing degrees in agriculture and related fields. Later, Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will tour a sugar beet processing facility in Moorhead.

 

Tour of Red River Valley Agriculture Research Center

Senator Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will tour the Red River Valley Agriculture Research Center to see ongoing research efforts which are being conducted under U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

 

Commodity Group Roundtable

Senator Hoeven will host a roundtable with Secretary Perdue and representatives from North Dakota’s agriculture industry, including agriculture producers, crop and livestock associations, North Dakota Farm Bureau, North Dakota Farmers Union and Farm Credit Services.

 

Collegiate Farm Bureau Luncheon

Senator Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will have lunch with students pursuing degrees in agriculture and related fields and discuss new opportunities in agriculture.

 

Sugar Beet Processing Facility Tour

Senator Hoeven and Secretary Perdue will tour American Crystal Sugar Company’s sugar beet processing facility in Moorhead, Minn., where the senator will outline the importance of the sugar industry to North Dakota’s economy and the benefits of the sugar program.