Fishers, brewers, distillers: What aid do they need to survive Covid-19?
As the spread of the novel coronavirus disrupts business as usual across the country, food producers of all kinds are turning to the government for the help they say they need to stay afloat through the pandemic. From fishermen to produce growers to brewers, companies and organizations are lining up for federal aid.
Coronavirus darkens income prospects for grain farmers
Seven weeks ago, the USDA forecast the highest U.S. net farm income since 2013. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic has driven down grain prices and “reduced (the) grain farm income outlook for 2020,” wrote five university economists on Tuesday.
Stung by coronavirus, producers ask government to buy their goods
The government should step up its food purchases as a way to mitigate the potential loss of billions of dollars in sales due to the coronavirus pandemic, said dairy farmers and two dozen lawmakers representing fruit and vegetable growers.
TODAY’S QUICK HITS
Pathmaker Brookins dies of Covid-19 (World Perspectives): Carole Brookins, who began her career as a market reporter at the Chicago Board of Trade and founded the consultancy World Perspectives in 1980 in the wake of Soviet grain embargo, died at age 75 of Covid-19, two weeks after a trip to France.
Visualizing the fall of restaurants (Eater): A series of charts demonstrates how restaurants have suffered and grocery delivery has surged as the spread of the new coronavirus has kept people closer to home.
New fund sends cash to farmers (AFT): American Farmland Trust has launched a fund to send cash relief to farmers who are experiencing market disruptions due to the spread of Covid-19.
Brashears confirmed as meat safety chief (Senate): On a voice vote, senators confirmed Mindy Brashears as agriculture undersecretary for food safety, nearly two years after she was first nominated by President Trump.
Arboretum closed to public (USDA): The National Arboretum was closed to public access in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus; national forests and grasslands, also run by USDA, remain open to visitors.
Zoonotic disease risk (InsideClimate News): As agricultural production expands onto new land, the risk of diseases that jump from animals to humans, such as Covid-19, will increase as people come into contact with wild animals.
