Page 12 - MWC 4-23-20s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 23, 2020 · P12
Farm Bureau Asks Ag Secretary to Address Key Issues

to Aid Farms, Ranches Feeling COVID-19 Pressures

Nebraska Farm Bureau Kansas last year, any instance operational, for both consum- cluded additional lending op-
is asking U.S. Secretary of of market manipulation should ers and agricultural produc- portunities through the Small
Agriculture Sonny Perdue be prosecuted swiftly and to ers. While stores around the Business Administration for
to address four key areas to the fullest extent of the law.” country may see temporarily businesses of all sizes, in-
help deliver relief to Nebras- Expedited rollout of finan- empty shelves, retailers re- cluding agriculture, we asked
ka farms and ranches feeling cial support authorized by the main confident the vast ma- USDA to explore ways to assist
pressure from the COVID-19 federal CARES Act, including jority of food items will be farmers and ranchers who are
outbreak, which has shaken assurance that financial sup- available. While temporary struggling or may be unable to
commodity markets and com- port be provided for pork and supply shortages are prob- make payments to their loans
pounded preexisting financial beef producers that do not typ- lematic, long-term shortages with USDA,” said Nelson.
challenges faced by farm and ically fall under USDA pro- would be of considerable con- “We appreciate all of USDAs
ranch families due to a multi- grams, was also requested in cern,” said Nelson. “To that efforts to work with farmers,
year decline in farm income. the letter to Perdue. point, we asked USDA to ex- ranchers, and rural commu-
In a letter to Secretary Per- “From pork produc- plore haying and grazing of nities as we all adjust to the
due dated April 9, Nebras- ers who have seen the lowest Conservation Reserve Pro- unique situation and challeng-
ka Farm Bureau President prices in 17 years, to dairy pro- gram acres as a way to help es presented by COVID-19,”
Steve Nelson made four spe- ducers who are dealing with mitigate possible hay shortag- said Nelson.
cific asks of the United States upheaval in supply chains re- es if it becomes necessary for The Nebraska Farm Bureau
Department of Agriculture quiring them to dump milk, producers to hold cattle longer is a grassroots, state-wide orga-
(USDA) targeted to help farm to corn producers watching due to packing plant operation nization dedicated to support-
and ranch families deal with with concern as ethanol plants disruptions.” ing farm and ranch families
the COVID-19 fallout. idle or cut production, it’s im- Nebraska Farm Bureau and working for the benefit of
“We continue to hear con- portant USDA moves quickly also asked Secretary Perdue all Nebraskans through a wide
cerns about potential market to roll out the financial sup- to explore additional flexibil- variety of educational, service
manipulation particularly port measures included in the ities, including authorization and advocacy efforts. More
amongst our cow-calf produc- CARES Act,” said Nelson. of loan restructuring and loan than 58,000 families across
ing members. As such we asked Monitoring the needs of balance write-downs, for those Nebraska are Farm Bureau
the secretary to work with the those in the food processing who utilize USDA loan pro- members, working together to
Commodity Futures Trading industry and providing flexi- grams, as many who utilize achieve rural and urban pros-
Commission and the U.S. De- bility to make any needed reg- USDA loans tend to be young- perity as agriculture is a key
partment of Justice to ensure ulatory adjustments was also er and potentially less likely fuel to Nebraska’s economy.
all laws are being rigorously identified in the Farm Bureau to have equity or cash to draw www.nefb.org
followed,” said Nelson. “As we letter. from during these unprece-
noted to the secretary follow- “It’s critical food produc- dented times.
ing the fire at the beef plant in tion facilities stay open and “Just as the CARES Act in-

SPREAD ratory illness caused by the * Cargill Inc
continued from page 3 new coronavirus, involving closed a plant
employees at the facility. in Hazleton,
cattle a day, according to com- * National Beef Packing Co Pennsylvania,
modity firm Kerns and Asso- suspended cattle slaughter- that produces
ciates, about 5% of the total ing at an Iowa Premium beef meat for U.S.
U.S. daily slaughter. plant in Tama, Iowa, until the grocery stores.
* Smithfield Foods, the week of April 20 after numer- * Harmony
world’s biggest pork pro- ous employees tested positive Beef in Alber-
cessor, on Sunday (April 12, for the virus, according to an ta, Canada,
2020) said it is indefinitely announcement on its website. shut its cat-
shutting a Sioux Falls, South It had shut the plant during tle slaughter
Dakota, plant that produces the week of April 6 for clean- operations on
about 4% to 5% of U.S. pork. ing. March 27 for
The company, owned by Chi- * Aurora Packing Company two days, after
na’s WH Group Ltd, warned closed a beef plant in Aurora, a worker test-
plant shutdowns are pushing Illinois, said Brad Lyle, chief ed positive for the coronavi- poultry plant, following three
the United States “perilously financial officer for U.S. com- rus, prompting some federal COVID-19 cases among work-
close to the edge” in meat sup- modity firm Kerns and Asso- inspectors to stay away from ers at that facility.
plies for grocers. ciates. A security officer at the the site. * Sanderson Farms Inc re-
* Tyson Foods Inc said on plant said it was closed due to * An Olymel pork plant in duced chicken production to 1
Monday it is keeping a hog the pandemic. The company Yamachiche, Quebec, shut on million birds a week from 1.3
slaughterhouse in Columbus did not respond to requests March 29 for two weeks after million at a plant in Moultrie,
Junction, Iowa, closed this for comment. nine workers tested positive Georgia.
week. The company previous- * JBS USA shut a beef plant for the coronavirus. REUTERS
ly shut the plant the week of in Souderton, Pennsylvania, * Maple Leaf Foods sus-
April 6 after more than 24 until April 16, after previous- pended operations on April
cases of COVID-19, the respi- ly cutting production. 8 at its Brampton, Ontario