Articles Tagged with ''covid-19''

Lawmakers may clear the way for another round of Market Facilitation Program payments as well as other aid to producers as part of a massive economic stimulus package that the Senate is expected to consider on Monday.

Farm groups are lobbying Congress and the Trump administration for a number of relief measures to help producers cope with the slide in many commodity markets that has deepened as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens.

USDA shut down an office complex in Kansas City, Mo., due to a potential COVID-19 infection contracted during a Farm Service Agency conference held there from March 10 to March 13.

Producers who need to talk with someone at their county office now will have to make an appointment, as COVID-19 cases continue to increase nationwide.

Farming designated as a critical service * Restaurant industry warns of $225B in potential losses * Shuttering food markets may cost up to $700 million

The Trump administration has labeled agriculture as a critical industry in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, allowing businesses to continue operating as usual amid current and potential restrictions created to stem the spread of the virus.

Local and regional agriculture and food markets stand to lose up to $688.7 million in sales through May because of the shutdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to analysts familiar with the sector.

The restaurant industry estimates it will lose $225 billion, 25% of its annual revenue, if the industry is shut down for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Airlines are shipping less produce * Dairy Families: Vulnerable farmers should self-isolate * Industry appeals for worker exemptions

The Food and Drug Administration is suspending routine surveillance inspections of U.S. facilities, citing concern for its staff and state contractors who conduct the plant checks.