North Dakota Farmers Union President Testifies Before Senate Agriculture Committee

Matt Perdue traveled to Washington's Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 10 carrying a straightforward message: family farmers are hurting, and the Senate Agriculture Committee needs to act.

Perdue, who serves as president of the North Dakota Farmers Union and farms with his family near Ray, North Dakota, testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry at a hearing focused on increasing domestic consumption of American agricultural products. On his own operation, he grows durum, wheat, canola, lentils, and soybeans, the same crops whose profitability he argued is being squeezed by rising costs, low commodity prices, and accelerating market consolidation.

"Family farmers are experiencing real economic pain. We need real solutions," Perdue told the committee. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Farmers Union, and the NDFU described him as representing that national organization at the hearing.

The NDFU is North Dakota's largest farm organization, representing 70,000 farm, ranch, and member families. Perdue used that platform to push a specific set of demands. At the top of his list was immediate approval of year-round sales of E15, the 15% ethanol-blended gasoline currently restricted from summer sale under federal fuel regulations. He also called for expanded renewable fuels markets, continued investment in local and regional food systems, and meaningful enforcement against anti-competitive practices.

On biofuels, Perdue urged the committee and federal regulators to sustain the momentum built through the Renewable Fuels Standard. The EPA has proposed a biomass-based diesel volume of 5.61 billion gallons; Perdue urged the agency to hold that figure in the final rule and to prioritize domestic fuels and feedstocks over imported alternatives. He also flagged sustainable aviation fuel as an emerging opportunity for North Dakota growers. "By transforming crops like corn, soybeans and canola into renewable energy, farmers capture added value from every bushel while supporting domestic energy security," he testified.

Perdue grounded the domestic market argument in international competitive pressure, noting that Brazil has increased its soybean production by roughly 50 percent over the last decade. That reality, he argued, makes building stronger domestic demand not optional but essential. "Strengthening domestic markets is not merely an economic choice but a prerequisite for the long-term survival of family farmers and rural communities," he said.

Value-added processing received particular emphasis in the North Dakota context. Perdue argued that local processing capacity acts as a hedge against volatile global commodity prices and gives producers more options for how and where they market their crops.

Perdue testified alongside representatives from the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, International Fresh Produce Association, National Corn Growers Association, and National Cotton Council. Full written testimony from all witnesses is available through the Senate Agriculture Committee's hearings page.

"We look forward to working with the Senate Agriculture Committee to expand domestic market opportunities, create new ones, and to ensure that all our markets are fair and competitive," Perdue said in closing his remarks.