Garamendi Secures Relief for Local Walnut Growers Impacted by Retaliatory Tariffs

Washington, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) applauded the inclusion of walnuts in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Market Facilitation Program (MFP) to assist farmers impacted by the President's self-inflicted trade war. This follows an agriculture town hall for Northern California farmers Garamendi hosted with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, and a letter Garamendi sent to Secretary Perdue calling for the inclusion of California-grown walnuts in the Trump Administration's newest retaliatory tariff-relief package. Garamendi's letter was cosigned by Congressmen T.J. Cox (D-CA), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), and Jim Costa (D-CA).

"My district is home to 91,758 acres of walnuts, and growers across the Sacramento Valley have seen their prices drop $930 per ton (36%) since the President launched his trade war. As walnut prices continue falling due to retaliatory tariffs, California growers struggle to cover their production costs and are at risk of going out of business. The vital relief this USDA program offers will help local growers cover some of their costs. Thank you to Secretary Perdue for approving my request, and to my Congressional colleagues that joined me in this effort."

The USDA's Market Facilitation Program (MFP) was established in 2019 to assist farmers and ranchers with commodities directly impacted by foreign retaliatory tariffs, resulting in the loss of traditional export markets. According to the California Walnut Commission, retaliatory tariffs have been imposed in several key export markets for California growers, including China, India and Turkey, as a result of the Trump Administration's actions.

Assistance is available for agricultural producers of non-specialty crops, dairy, hogs, and specialty crops. In addition to walnuts, almond growers will also be eligible for this second-round of USDA assistance.