We are all hearing the stories about what is happening to the dairy industry due to the Covid 19 pandemic. So as Stephanie Ho reports, USDA’s latest outlook for dairy is calling for lower numbers. World Ag Outlook Board Chair Mark Jekanowski has a detailed look at price reductions across all milk classes. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida …
Farmers, Ag Industry Groups Scrambling for Aid
(NAFB) — The Small Business Administration has been slow to approve many agricultural banks under the new Paycheck Protection Program. Politico says that the program has been overwhelmed with applications and is expected to run out of its initial $350 billion as soon as this week. “There’s a lot of farmers out there trying to line up for the funding,” …
Extension Economist Offers Reassurances about Meat Supplies
(ACES) — Smithfield Foods has closed a major pork processing facility in South Dakota causing concern about meat supplies and possible shortages among consumers, industry professionals and political pundits. An economist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System said consumers should think about the industry as a whole and the long-term logistics of moving not only meat supplies but also all …
UF Surveys to Identify Impact of Pandemic on Florida’s Agriculture and Marine Industries
(UF/IFAS) — With agriculture and marine industries occupying a large portion of Florida’s economy, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) wants to better understand how measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are impacting these sectors. Starting today, faculty from the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics (FRE) department are deploying surveys to UF/IFAS Extension agents …
More Time to Repay Marketing Assistance Loans
As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL) now mature at 12 months rather than nine. According to a story from Tyron Spearman, this flexibility is available for most commodities. According to USDA, producers of eligible commodities now have up to 12 …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on “Urgently Needed” USDA Stimulus Funding
(FDACS) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue urging swift action in getting the $9.5 billion in direct assistance provided by the CARES Act stimulus bill into the hands of agriculture producers. Fried also shared with USDA several proposals from national and Florida agriculture industry partners highlighting the needs on the ground in response …
Coronavirus-Related Cattle Industry Losses Estimated at $13.6 Billion
(NCNB) — A study released estimates cattle industry losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will reach $13.6 billion. The study was commissioned by NCBA and conducted by a team of industry-leading agricultural economists led by Derrell Peel, Breedlove Professor of Agribusiness and Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist at Oklahoma State University, to assist USDA in determining how best to …
Hog Farmers Face COVID-19 Financial Crisis
(NPPC) — The impact of COVID-19 has caused hog values to plummet, creating a financial disaster for pork producers nationwide who face a collective $5 billion loss for the remainder of the year. At a press briefing, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) outlined the crisis as described by producers and the immediate relief they are requesting from the administration …
NACD Requests Additional Support for Conservation Districts in Next Stimulus
(NACD) — The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) sent a letter to Congress requesting additional funding and legislative support for the nation’s nearly 3,000 conservation districts in the next stimulus bills. “Conservation districts are the backbone of delivering conservation in America,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “Unfortunately, as with many small businesses, many conservation districts are currently struggling to continue supporting …
Commissioner Nikki Fried & FDACS Working for Florida Farmers During COVID-19
(FDACS) — With the COVID-19 pandemic causing disruption to the nation’s agriculture industry, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) have worked tirelessly to ensure that Florida’s agriculture producers are supported. Commissioner Fried has been in communication with Congress and federal agencies advocating for speedy economic relief, with major retailers and state agencies seeking additional purchases of …