Dairies are getting federal money in response to COVID-19--but it may not be enough

The U.S.D.A.

Is putting $19 billion toward the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which helps support farmers across the nation struggling from the impacts of COVID-19, but the Idaho Dairymen's Association says limitations within the program mean a big chunk of Idaho's dairies will get shortchanged.

AT 5:30..."GOOD EVENINGMAGIC VALLEY ANDTHANK YOU FORJOINING USTONIGHT...THE US DEPARTMENTOF AGRICULTURE ISPUTTING 19 BILLIONDOLLARS TOWARDSUPPORTINGFARMERS ACROSSTHE UNITED STATES.IT'S PART OF THECORONAVIRUS FOODASSISTANCEPROGRAM.BUT AS IDAHO NEWS6 REPORTERNATASHA WILLIAMSFOUND OUT...LIMITATIONS WITHINTHE PROGRAM MEANBAD NEWS FOR A BIGCHUNK OF IDAHO'SDAIRIES.FOR DAIRIES...DROPPING DEMANDAND SINKING PRICESLEAVE MANYWORRIED ABOUTBEING ABLE TO PAYTHE BILLS."THEY'RE GOING TOBE FACED WITH A LOTOF DIFFICULTDECISIONS ON 'HOWDO YOU PAY YOURWORKERS?

HOW DOYOU PAY FOR YOURUTILITIES?

HOW DOYOU PAY FOR ALLTHESE OTHERTHINGS THAT THEMILK CHECK IS JUSTNOT COVERINGANYMORE?'"IN THE DAIRYINDUSTRY... MILK ISPRICED PERHUNDREDPOUNDS--ORHUNDREDWEIGHT.FOR THE DAIRIES TOPRODUCE THE MILK...IT COSTS ABOUT 16DOLLARS AHUNDREDWEIGHT--BUT THE PRICE IT'SBEING SOLD FOR ISMUCH LESS THANTHAT--AT 10 DOLLARSA HUNDRED WEIGHT."THEY JUST DON'TCOME CLOSE TOCOVERING THEBILLS."DIRECT PAYMENTSFROM THE USDA'SCORONAVIRUS FOODASSISTANCEPROGRAM AREMEANT TO HELPTHOSE STRUGGLINGFARMERS STAY INBUSINESS... BUTACCORDING TO ASUMMARY OF THEPROGRAM RELEASEDBY THE USDA...THERE IS A LIMIT OF125 THOUSANDDOLLARS PERFARMER.

AND PERDAIRY."IF YOURCOMPETITOR ISMILKING 80 COWSAND THEY GET 125THOUSAND, ANDYOU'RE MILKING 800COWS AND YOU GETTHAT SAME 125THOUSAND, ITDOESN'T GO NEAR ASFAR ON A LARGERDAIRY OPERATION ASIT DOES ON ASMALLER DAIRYOPERATION."THE DAIRYMEN'SASSOCIATION SAYSTHE AVERAGE DAIRYFARM IN IDAHO HASABOUT 1500 COWS...BUT THE AVERAGENATIONALLY IS ONLYABOUT 250 COWS."FOR US IN IDAHOAND OTHERWESTERN STATESWHERE OURAVERAGE HERD SIZEIS LARGER, IT'SFRUSTRATING THATOUR DAIRYMEN ANDOUR RURALCOMMUNITIES AREBEINGSHORTCHANGED BYTHIS PROGRAMBECAUSE THEYCAPPED IT ANDTHEY'RE NOT MAKINGIT EQUITABLEACROSS ALL SIZEDAIRIES AND ALL SIZEFARMS."IDAHO'S ENTIREAGRICULTUREINDUSTRY HAS BEENHIT HARD BY THECORONAVIRUSPANDEMIC... TO THEPOINT MANY HAVEHAD TO DUMPPRODUCT--INCLUDING THOUSANDS OFGALLONS OF MILK...ONIONS ANDPOTATOES."THE MORE YOUPRODUCE RIGHTNOW, THE MORE YOULOSE.

EVERY FARMEROUT THERE,WHETHER YOU'REFARMING POTATOESOR COWS ORVEGETABLES, EVERYACRE YOU FARM,EVERY COW YOUMILK YOU'RE LOSINGMONEY ON THATANIMAL OR ON THATACRE.

THE MORE YOUHAVE, THE MOREYOU'RE LOSING."THE DAIRYMEN'SASSOCIATION SAYSTHE IMPACTS ARESTATEWIDE."IT'S THE RURALCOMMUNITIES THATOUR ECONOMY ISBUILT ON IN IDAHO.WE PRODUCE FOODIN IDAHO.

IT IMPACTSTHE ENTIRE STATE."IN RESPONSE TO THESUMMARY OF THECORONAVIRUS FOODASSISTANCEPROGRAM... IDAHO'SDELEGATION HAVEALL WRITTENLETTERS URGING THEPRESIDENT TOELIMINATE THEPAYMENT LIMITS FORSPECIALTY CROP,LIVESTOCK, ANDDAIRY PRODUCERS.THE FINAL DETAILSOF THE PROGRAMHAVE YET TO BEANNOUNCED.NATASHA WILLIAMS,IDAHO NEWS 6SO, AS WE'VEREPORTED, SOMEDAIRIES HAVE BEENFORCED TO DUMPMILK DOWN THEDRAIN.BUT STARTING NEXTMONTH, THAT MILK...IN A LOT OF CASES...WILL BE GOING TOTHE PEOPLE WHONEED IT MOST.STARTING MAYFIRST... THE USDA ISSPENDING AHUNDRED MILLIONDOLLARS A MONTHTO BUY BACK SOMEOF THE SURPLUSMILK FROM DAIRYFARMERS IN ORDERTO DISTRIBUTE IT TOFOOD PANTRIESACROSS THE NATION."THEY'RE STEPPINGIN TO PURCHASEFRUITS ANDVEGETABLES ANDMEAT ACROSS THEBOARD, TO MAKESURE THEY PROVIDEBALANCED MEALSFOR THESEINDIVIDUALS WHOARE FOOD INSECUREAND FINDTHEMSELVES INUNCHARTEDTERRITORIES ANDHAVING TO GO TOFOODBANKS TO TRYAND FEED THEIRFAMILIES."THE IDAHODAIRYMEN'SASSOCIATION SAYSWHILE THE PROGRAMWON'T COMPLETELYSOLVE THE SURPLUSISSUE... IT WILL GIVESOME OF THEPRODUCTS THATWOULD HAVEOTHERWISE GONE TOWASTE A CHANCE TOFEED THOSESTRUGGLING WITHFOODINSECURITY--ESPECIALLY THOSE NEWLYUNEMPLOYEDBECAUSE OF THEPANDEMIC.FOR MORE ON WHYDAIRY FARMERSWERE FORCED TODUMP MILK... HEAD TOOUR WEBSITE... KSAWTV DOT COM.