Six Things the Ag Industry Should Consider in Regards to COVID-19 Pandemic
Friday, March 20th, 2020 -- 10:56 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The World Health Organization now considers the novel coronavirus to be a pandemic.The rapidly evolving situation is raising questions throughout the U.S. The stock market has taken a hit in recent weeks creating wild volatility and there are growing concerns about the virus and our reaction to it causing a significant downturn in the general economy. But what about agriculture? There are six specific things that farmers, farming families, ag employers, and ag employees need to be aware of and plan for and they include markets and farm prices, supply chains slowdowns and shortages, farmer's health, the farm workforce, worker safety and personal protective equipment and other disruptions like rural/sparse population and access to high speed internet. Only time will reveal the severity of the impacts on agriculture from the novel coronavirus.
We urge everyone to take reasonable precautions to limit the spread of the disease and its influence on your businesses and lives. Hoarding of farm supplies is not recommended and could cause even greater problems for the sector, but prudent purchases of necessary inputs might minimize disruptions to your business. Please keep informed, listen to the experts, and follow the recommendations of federal, state and local agencies and authorities. Updates and additional resources available to help farmers and other rural communities prepare for and respond to the COVID-19 virus and its impacts can be found on the Extension Farm Management website at https://farms.extension.wisc.edu/2020/03/06/coronavirus/.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.