News
Wisconsin Governor confirms he’s considering direct payment relief to farmers
[embedded content]
Wisconsin’s Governor might use some federal coronavirus relief funds as direct payments to farmers.
Governor Tony Evers tells Brownfield the agriculture industry, and dairy, in particular, has been struggling mightily since the COVID-19 pandemic started, and he is looking closely at the request by eight state agriculture groups to use fifty-million of the 1.9 billion dollars in CARES Act discretionary funding for direct payments. “I can’t say it’s going to be fifty-million or whatever, but the bottom line is it is under consideration and I’m thinking that, today is Thursday, so early next week, we should know.”
When asked about how a direct payment program would be administered, Evers told Brownfield he would consult with the agriculture industry for suggestions on how to best do that and make sure the right people get the help. “Everybody in the state is struggling, but I think there are some folks, and this is true in the agriculture industry, too, that there’s some folks that are hurting more than others and that’s how we should be divvying up this money.”
Evers tells Brownfield any direct payment program would prioritize ag producers if the decision is made to proceed.
A letter requesting direct payments to farmers was sent April 21st by Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, the Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin Soybean Association, Wisconsin Pork Association, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers discusses direct payments to farmers and other coronavirus-related topics with Brownfield’s Larry Lee
