Congresswoman Angie Craig Pushes Secretary Perdue On Behalf of Minnesota Turkey Growers
Rep. Craig Leads Colleagues In Pushing Sec. Perdue To Extend COVID-19 Relief Resources to Hurting Turkey Growers
Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig led her colleagues from the Minnesota Delegation in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue pushing for turkey growers to have access to any COVID-19 relief resources available to agriculture producers.
Right now, turkey growers are facing further processing plant closures and are not included in the USDA's Farmers to Families Food Box program or the Agency's direct payment program authorized in the CARES Act. After dozens of conversations with family farmers in the Second District, Rep. Craig is leading the call for increased support to relieve some of the financial pain caused by COVID-19.
"The livestock sector is seeing unprecedented losses, which is irreparably impacting countless families and producers in Minnesota. In our state, many independent turkey growers are responsible for all of their input costs, putting them at a greater financial risk," they wrote in the letter. "Those growers deserve your help, including the ability to receive Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) funds because of their losses due to COVID-19."
"Minnesota turkey growers are facing uncertainty right now due to COVID-19. As an independent turkey grower, it is concerning that we are not able to access the very resources USDA set aside to support growers impacted by COVID-19 losses. I thank Congresswoman Craig for her leadership on this issue, and encourage USDA to provide additional guidance for those in the turkey industry fighting to keep our small, family businesses running," said John Zimmerman, Minnesota Turkey Grower
You can read the full letter below.
Dear Secretary Perdue,
We write today concerned about the future of the domestic poultry industry, particularly as it relates to our nation's turkey growers. In Minnesota, Jennie-O Turkey has shuttered plants,[1] drawing concerns about future impacts on turkey growers. The livestock sector is seeing unprecedented losses, which is irreparably impacting countless families and producers in Minnesota. In our state, many independent turkey growers are responsible for all of their input costs, putting them at a greater financial risk. Those growers deserve your help, including the ability to receive Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) funds because of their losses due to COVID-19.
Plant closures remain a growing threat to our turkey growers. While we recognize the need to reopen these plants, we must also protect the health and safety of workers and their families. As farmers make difficult decisions about depopulation due to these closures, we need a strong coordinated national effort to safely protect our natural resources. We encourage USDA to provide additional assistance to find processing capacity and aid in disposal of depopulated birds as needed.
Turkey growers were also unfortunately left out of the USDA's Farmers to Families Food Box program. Because of this, we ask the department to prioritize turkey purchases in Section 32 and other purchase programs. These purchases are needed to stabilize the market and help provide food to people in need.
When the USDA announced initial plans for CFAP, our turkey growers were excluded. While demand increased for many poultry products at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, independent turkey growers remain at risk to lose significant income. Given the numerous farmer owned cooperatives and independent growers, we ask that the agency clearly define the requirements an independent poultry/turkey grower or an independent producer, including cooperative members, must show in order to successfully apply for CFAP funds. We ask that the USDA consider these business structures when making decisions about eligibility for assistance.