AG Provisions in the Latest COVID Bill Passed By Congress
Last weekend the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate passed another COVID aid package. Apparently it was attached to a spending bill that would keep the U.S. Federal Government operating for another year. The combined bill was over 5,000 pages which meant no Senator or House member could read let alone understand all the spending that was in the massive bill. Then President Trump threatened to veto the bill because he wanted U.S.citizens to receive $2,000 instead of $600.
So, at some point there will have to be an agreement to keep the Federal Government funded and operating. I think it is quite likely that there will be an agreement on another COVID aid bill too. Therefore I was interested in what benefits or direct payments were in the COVID Bill that would benefit farmers. AG Analyst Kent Thiesse wrote an article on what was in the COVID bill when it appeared President Trump was going to sign it. I also found more details in the daily Van Trump Report.
Remember the CFAP 1 bill was very complicated with inventories of grain unsold at specific dates. The CFAP 2 program was based off of acres planted and FSA program yields which was much simpler. Apparently this last COVID aid bill is patterned after the CFAP 2 bill. Farmers would received $20 an acre for the acres of corn and beans planted this year. There would be payments for cattle producers, contract growers of livestock, poultry, dairy farmers, and livestock producers who had to euthanize their livestock.
The bill also included $13 billion for food purchases and another round of funding for the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which has been expanded. It appears more aid for farmers will eventually be passed but don't spent it yet!