Elected officials continue to ensure agricultural producers receive the means necessary to withstand the coronavirus pandemic. State and federal lawmakers now “go to bat” for a livestock group, which has been excluded from new relief efforts.
Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Governor Kim Reynolds (R-IA), and Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig this week penned a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. The letter requests assistance for egg producers, who have suffered great losses in part of COVID-19, according to Senator Ernst.
?We?re asking the USDA to include egg producers in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Our Iowa farmers have been doing their part to help our state and nation navigate through the effort to defeat COVID-19, and our egg producers are no different. We want to make sure we are supporting them, as well as everyone in agriculture,? Senator Ernst said.
Senator Ernst first sought assistance for egg producers in early May. This letter stems from her previous correspondence with Secretary Perdue.
?In the letter, I asked USDA to consider purchasing liquid egg product(s) to distribute to families in need,? Senator Ernst said. ?We have seen movement in that area, where USDA is purchasing commodities and providing different types of products to food banks and families that need a little extra help right now.?
Officials specifically requested ?liquid egg” purchases, due to significant loss of demand, according to Senator Ernst.
?This is where we?re seeing significant waste in the egg industry,” Senator Ernst said. “We have restaurants that normally consume liquid egg products for use in the food they are selling. Because many of those restaurants have closed, we?re not seeing much movement in the liquid egg industry. I?ve heard from those producers (and they) are dumping liquid egg products into lagoons or treatment facilities because there is nowhere for that product to go.?
