Farmers work on cleaning up the high tunnels March 26 as they get ready to plant tomatoes on their farm in Martic Township, Pa. | Chris Knight/LNP/LancasterOnline via AP
President Donald Trump on Friday announced a $19 billion economic rescue package for farmers and ranchers, including a combination of direct payments and commodity purchases.
“The program will include direct payments to farmers as well as mass purchases of dairy, meat and agricultural produce, to get that food to the people in need,” Trump said at a White House press briefing.
Trump has counted farmers and rural voters among his most solid supporters, and he directed Secretary Sonny Perdue last week to speed through assistance to the agriculture sector.
Perdue said Friday that the direct aid to farmers will total $16 billion, while the department will buy $3 billion in surplus food to distribute to food banks and other organizations.
The secretary is scheduled to brief reporters on a conference call at 9 p.m.
The agriculture sector — a central piece of President Donald Trump’s political base — has been anxious to learn the details of the farm stimulus plan, as producers increasingly bleed profits and start dumping their goods like milk and fresh produce.
Congress last month authorized the Agriculture Department to spend more than $23 billion to boost hard-hit sectors including livestock and dairy producers, specialty crop growers and producers who sell to local food systems like farmers markets. Some of those sectors have been struggling for years from trade headwinds, labor shortages, low commodity prices and the rapid consolidation in agriculture.
Other industry groups like ethanol producers are also angling for a piece of the aid, as the drop in gasoline consumption has crushed demand for biofuels. Trump said an additional $14 billion in aid would be available in July.
Farmers have also struggled to access separate pieces of the $2 trillion stimulus package, including forgivable small business loans aimed at helping employers keep their workers on the payroll.
White House to give $19B in farmer aid
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