Producers urge government hog purchases, direct payments
The National Pork Producers Council rolled out a potentially multi-billion dollar survival plan for the industry Tuesday that calls for the Agriculture Department to make massive purchases of pork and direct payments to hog farmers with increasing expenses.
The producers are left with animals to feed as packing plants close or slow operations to control the spread of COVID-19 among their employees.
The plan comes as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue mulls over ways to aid several segments of agriculture that have lost sales and markets as U.S. and world economies weaken under travel, transportation and business coronavirus health restrictions. Continue reading.