The National Pork Producers Council is asking the Senate to adopt the agricultural provisions in the HEROES Act that was recently passed by the House. Howard “A.V.” Roth (Rowth), NPPC President, says they’re asking the Senate to make the move as quickly as possible.
“All pork producers are hurting, and immediate action is necessary,” Roth says. “We need the Senate to act quickly to provide this critical lifeline to hog producers.” He says without immediate government assistance, family farmers, many of whom have been on their farm for generations, will be bankrupted by the impact of COVID-19.
That won’t just hurt the farmers themselves, but instead will destroy the livelihoods of countless communities across rural America. That will directly lead to consolidation and contraction in a farm sector that generates more than 500,000 jobs and $23 billion in personal income.
The Hagstrom Report says U.S. hog producers are looking at a potential $5 billion loss this year. That’s even though hog processors are working at a faster pace than they were even a couple of weeks ago. However, there is still a backlog of up to 150,000 hogs every week, and producers are losing about $50 to $60 per hog.
