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Wisconsin opens applications for third round of pandemic farmer assistance
Governor Tony Evers (front left) and DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski (front right)
Wisconsin is preparing to send out another 50-million dollars in pandemic assistance to farmers. Secretary Randy Romanski with the Department of Ag, Trade, and Consumer Protection tells Brownfield the application window begins November 8th and farmers need to watch their mailboxes this week. “The Department of Revenue is sending out letters to farmers starting today to give them information about the program, and give them a letter ID which is going to be required for them to complete the applications.”
Romanski says this will be the third round of assistance through two different coronavirus programs. He says the letters are going to qualifying farmers with at least 10-thousand but less than five million dollars in gross income.
Romanski says farmers will have to work quickly to apply. “The Department of Revenue is expecting to close the application window at 11:59 pm on November 24th and the goal is to have checks out the door by the end of the year.”Romanski says farmers are still seeing disruptions in the supply chain, but they’re different from before. He says now, the disruptions are affecting the availability and price of equipment and parts where before in 2020, there were more severe backups in meat processing, milk dumping, and other food supply areas.
Romanski says along with farmer assistance, he’s expecting the department and Governor Tony Evers will be ready to announce the Dairy Processor Grant program details by Thanksgiving.