Poultry, Livestock Producers Could See Relief From Latest Stimulus Package

Jan 22, 2021

By Seth Bodine

Congress has assigned $13 billion in the new COVID-19 relief bill to help farmers who have been affected by the pandemic. Those dollars include $1 billion for contract poultry and livestock growers, and would cover up to 80% of losses.

Farmers could receive $20 per acre for commodity crops like corn that have fallen in price by at least five percent.

John Newton is the chief economist for the American Farm Bureau, and says for many, the money is a lifeline.

"It costs a lot of money to put a crop in the ground every single year," said Newton. "When you lose your market immediately this helps them meet the needs of their lender, pay any outstanding obligations, they may have [and] pay their employees."

Newton said the aid is needed but it’s too soon to say if it's enough.

"I think it's a little early to make that judgment on whether or not it's enough, I think there are certainly producers that that still haven't got assistance that definitely need it," said Newton.

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Video: Farm Health Guardian | Digital Biosecurity in Real Time

Disease risk, biosecurity, and real-time monitoring continue to be major topics across the pork industry. In this episode of Swine Web Industry Perspectives, presented by Farm Health Guardian, we discuss how digital biosecurity and real-time data are changing the way producers think about herd protection, people movement, and operational decision-making.

The conversation explores:

disease risk in modern pork production,

the impact of people movement on biosecurity,

the importance of real-time monitoring,

digital biosecurity technology,

and how Farm Health Guardian developed tools designed to support modern swine operations.

As the industry continues focusing on prevention, preparedness, and operational efficiency, connected technologies and actionable data are becoming increasingly important parts of modern herd health management.