IARN — When Congress passed the latest infusion of money into COVID-19 relief, they made sure that farmers were included as small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) through the Small Business Administration. However, that added more stress to the program as it meant more people applying for aid that already had a waiting list from the first round of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, & Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The Trump administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) also announced $19 billion in relief for farmers and producers of several commodities. Like these other commodities, the Dairy industry is appreciative of the steps taken, but say more is going to be needed to curb the effects of this situation.
We have all heard the phrase “timing is everything.” That is a true statement. National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) spokesman Chris Galen says the timing being used in the USDA formulas for the $19 billion in COVID-19 assistance is not feasible, especially when it comes to meeting the needs of the dairy industry.
For more on this story, including comments from NMPF spokesman Chris Galen, visit the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
