Green Bay Dairy Farmer Cooperative Urging U.S. Ag Department to Act Quickly to Help Farmers
Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 -- 9:34 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -The Green Bay-based Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative is again urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture to act quickly to help farmers and people struggling to afford food during the national emergency caused by COVID-19.In a letter sent to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on Friday, the cooperative's board laid out three areas they see as critical as the agency considers how to apply relief from money allocated under the recently signed economic stimulus package. Specifically, Edge Dairy wants to see direct financial relief to dairy farmers, including those who were asked to dispose of their milk due to the collapse of a massive market in food service. They also support major government purchases of dairy foods that can fill a growing need among food assistance programs as millions of people lose jobs, and flexibility in labeling, packaging and nutritional guidelines for dairy products redistributed to food assistance programs so people can receive the food without delays. In seeking financial relief for farmers, Edge is pushing for a two-part response.
One is the Dairy CORE Program proposed by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association that would provide immediate financial relief to dairy farmers for April, May and June through a $3 per hundredweight payment for each month relative to a farm's milk production in March. The program would make one $9 per hundredweight lumpsum payment up front. The second part is disaster-type payments for milk losses incurred during the month of April, based on March production. Earlier this month, Edge joined several other Midwest agricultural groups in broadly recommending bulk food purchases and direct financial help for farmers.
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