Cattle and biofuels clamor for aid, as Schumer proposes broad plan Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue should tap “USDA’s bank,” a Depression-era agency with easy access to billions of dollars, to bail out cattle ranchers hit by sharp declines in beef prices as Covid-19 mounts, said ranch activists on Monday…. Continue reading
Covid-19 relief bill suspends SNAP work and training requirements The Senate is expected to vote this week on the House-passed Covid-19 relief bill that suspends work and job-training requirements for SNAP recipients, a step that could preserve benefits for hundreds of thousands of people. “I believe the vast majority… Continue reading
More than $1 billion for public nutrition in COVID-19 bill The government would provide lunch money for low-income children shut out of school meals by COVID-19 closures under the “families first” bill proposed by House Democrats. The bill would provide an additional $1 billion for other public nutrition programs…. Continue reading
Farm and ethanol leaders to administration: Don’t file that appeal President Trump will endanger his standing with farmers, who voted for him in landslide numbers in 2016, if his administration appeals a U.S. appellate court ruling against RFS exemptions, said ag and biofuel leaders on Wednesday. Labor shortages,… Continue reading
SNAP eligibility rules will tighten despite coronavirus outbreak At the same time he raised the possibility of pandemic benefits, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Tuesday that stricter SNAP time limits will take effect, as scheduled, on April 1 for able-bodied adults. Brazil and Argentina grow half of… Continue reading
USDA will help ‘keep the kids fed’ during Covid-19, says Perdue Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told school food directors on Monday the government will help them continue feeding children if schools close due to Covid-19. Coronavirus forces delays in food and ag meetings Organizers announced the delay of three conferences,… Continue reading
Covid-19 drives emergency steps for school food in two states The USDA approved requests from California and Washington State to provide free meals to low-income students when schools are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The waivers, good through June 30, were the first by USDA to help schools… Continue reading
States are told to expand job training for SNAP recipients The Trump administration said on Thursday that state agencies operating SNAP must expand their job-training activities for food stamp recipients as a way to help them earn more. The proposal was unveiled on the same day as a federal… Continue reading
Chance of trade war payments ‘less than 10 percent’ Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the odds of a multibillion-dollar round of trade war payments to farmers this year are “less than 10 percent,” although a senior lawmaker said the payments may be “absolutely vital” for survival in the Farm… Continue reading
With agreements in hand, fewer farmers expect trade war payments Farmers are optimistic about the resumption of trade with China and, as a result, fewer of them believe the Trump administration will send trade war payments to producers this year, said a Purdue University poll on Tuesday. Fewer than… Continue reading
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