Federal Lawmakers from Wisconsin seek answers from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for dairy farmers. In a letter this week, four legislators from Wisconsin asked how contracts are awarded through the Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
In May, USDA announced it was awarding $1.2 billion in contracts out of the $3 billion program, which is meant to support farmers struggling with food supply chain disruptions by purchasing agricultural products to distribute to those in need.
However, the lawmakers say USDA has released few details regarding the awardees and the process used to determine which companies receive contracts. Wisconsin, one of the nation’s top dairy-producing states and home to well-established dairy producers, processors, and distributors, has received less than one percent of the contracts made for dairy products through the program.
Representative Ron Kind, a Wisconsin Democrat, says, “Our dairy farmers are the heart of our rural communities, and they deserve additional clarity and more support from USDA.”
