Congress’s move to replenish two coronavirus-related assistance programs that are available to dairy businesses may help keep some dairies afloat – but application windows may close fast, said Claudia Larson, government relations director at the National Milk Producers Federation, in a new NMPF podcast.

Congress’s latest $484 billion coronavirus aid package replenishes two new small business loan programs that were overwhelmed by demand when first offered – the Paycheck Protection Program, which allows qualified banks to offer low-interest loans that can later be forgiven, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, a parallel program operated by the Small Business Administration. Applications, which have been on hold for additional funding, will re-open soon. Dairies seeking assistance “should do it relatively quickly,” Larson says. “It’s been projected that these funds are going to run out within 36 hours after they’re released.”

To listen to the full podcast, which gives the ins and outs of the programs, click here. NMPF also has more information about them on its coronavirus webpage. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), the largest U.S. dairy-farmer organization, issued the following statement in anticipation of the U.S. House of Representatives passing H.R. 266, which would replenish funding for Small Business Administration (SBA) loan programs in the CARES Act:

“We appreciate Congress’s bipartisan efforts to support our nation’s small businesses and workers both with the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) included in the CARES Act. Dairy producers and other farmers have not had equitable access to these important programs due to how they were rolled out, and this legislation should help improve that access.

“To ensure that dairy producers can receive the support Congress clearly intended for them to receive as small businesses, NMPF has worked with allied stakeholders, members of Congress from both parties, and administration officials to make certain that PPP and EIDLs are properly administered. NMPF thanks our champions in Congress and their staff for everything they have done to address the disadvantages farmers have faced when trying to access this needed small business support.

“In addition to providing further funding for PPP and COVID-19 EIDLs, this bill changes these programs in ways that make treatment for dairy producers more equitable. NMPF is extremely pleased that Congress makes it clear in this bill that farmers with 500 or fewer employees should be able to access COVID-19 EIDLs, removing a significant obstacle that has prevented small business support from reaching America’s farmers. On the PPP side, we are hopeful that the measure’s provisions aimed at ensuring small lenders – including community banks and credit unions – have adequate access to PPP funds will make it easier for dairy producers and others in rural areas to apply for support.

“It’s important to note that issues remain with these programs, including challenges family farms and other sole proprietors face when trying to apply for a PPP loan. NMPF will continue efforts to address remaining problems so farmers are better enabled to fulfill their critical role in helping our nation throughout this pandemic.”

More than four decades of dairy-industry experience with bovine coronavirus shouldn’t translate to complacency on farms about the human version, says Mike Lormore, the Director of U.S. Dairy Cattle Technical Services for Zoetis, the world’s largest manufacturer of animal-health vaccines, in an NMPF podcast released today.

“First of all, it’s important to note these vaccines for bovine coronavirus are only approved for use in cattle. Secondly, there’s no evidence to demonstrate that bovine coronavirus vaccines would be efficacious against SARS-2 or COVID-19 in people,” Lormore said in the podcast, which also includes Dr. Jamie Jonker, NMPF’s vice president for sustainability and scientific affairs. To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation expressed appreciation to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for including dairy in its $19 billion-dollar agriculture disaster assistance package released today while noting that more will be needed to stem steep losses in the dairy sector. NMPF staff are awaiting details of the plan, which appears to include financial aid for producers and purchases of at least $100 million per month in dairy products for distribution to the public.

“Federal dairy assistance is critically needed as the nation’s dairy farmers face an unprecedented collapse of markets resulting from the shutdown of much of the economy,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, the largest U.S. dairy-farmer organization.  “The plan announced today should provide important relief to some producers, and we look forward to learning more of its details in coming days to fully understand its scope and implementation.”

“Dairy’s fortunes have been especially grim, given the perishability of our product, its daily harvest and the fact that the virtual shutdown of the food service market has wiped out more than one-third of our product demand. After five years of poor prices, many producers faced financial difficulties even before the coronavirus crisis. Without more aid, this crisis could be their demise. We hope to work with USDA and members of Congress on implementing this plan and on the further assistance that will inevitably be needed due to this deepening crisis.”

NMPF thanked the many members of Congress who weighed in during the process to urge USDA to provide robust assistance to dairy. “We are extremely grateful for the strong bipartisan, bicameral push from members of Congress across the country in support of a significant dairy aid package,” Mulhern said. “Their important efforts built on successful bipartisan passage of the CARES Act late last month, which set the stage for this aid to be provided, and we thank them for their tireless advocacy for dairy farmers.”

NMPF and the International Dairy Foods Association developed a joint plan of assistance to farmers and processors that was sent to the department earlier this month.

NMPF Senior Vice President of Membership Services and Strategic Initiatives Chris Galen discusses the latest updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) and its impact on the U.S. dairy industry on Dairy Radio Now.

Jaime Castaneda, senior vice president for policy strategy and international trade at the National Milk Producers Federation, says the coronavirus crisis carries an urgency for the federal government comparable to world-shaping events such as World War II and the Great Depression. And as policy leaders work to rise to the occasion, the dairy community needs to as well, he said.

“This is the time to be united. We need to support all farmers of all sizes,” Castaneda says in an NMPF podcast released today. “This is the time for USDA and the U.S. government to step up to support agriculture and the dairy farming community. And I think that dairy farmers and the dairy industry, we need to continue to be united in aiming to that solution.”

NMPF and the International Dairy Foods Association last week released a joint plan for dairy assistance presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

National Milk Producers Federation Chief Economist Peter Vitaliano says government support for dairy producers to reduce production in coming months can speed dairy’s recovery from coronavirus-driven price declines. Production balancing is part of the NMPF and International Dairy Foods Association plan for dairy assistance presented to the U.S. Department of Agriculture last week.

“That type of unified, collective government action would probably be the best and most effective and speediest way of rebalancing supply and demand,” Vitaliano says in an NMPF podcast released today. To listen to the full podcast, click here. You can also find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  SoundCloud and Google Play. Broadcast outlets may use the MP3 file. Please attribute information to NMPF.

The National Milk Producers Federation thanked the U.S. Department of Agriculture for allowing discarded milk to be counted toward milk marketings for the Dairy Revenue Production (DRP) or as actual marketings for the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy (LGM-Dairy) programs. That decision will allow dairy farmers participating in those risk management programs not to lose coverage on any milk that can’t be marketed and will be helpful in mitigating some of the catastrophic damage many dairies face due to supply-chain disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis.

“The market realities of the COVID-19 era demand solutions, and USDA’s decision is a balm for thousands of dairy farmers participating in these important risk-management programs,” NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern. “We commend USDA’s decision and look forward to discussing further actions that can provide immediate relief for all dairy farmers, as outlined in our joint plan developed with the International Dairy Foods Association that we sent to the department earlier this week. Together, we can make a real difference for dairy, and we are pleased with USDA’s action here.”

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) is asking the Labor and Agriculture Departments to accept and approve H-2A visa applications from dairy farmers offering temporary immigrant farmworker employment for up to 364 days in a 12-month period, which would align dairy with other livestock sectors and not require a change to current rules governing the program.

“The dairy sector, like the rest of American agriculture, is facing a labor crisis that has been ongoing for decades. The COVID-19 reality we are all trying to navigate has only exacerbated these challenges,” wrote NMPF President and CEO Jim Mulhern in a letter to the two departments dated April 9. “As more and more Americans have to remain home to care for children who are out of school or care for other loved ones, there are even fewer workers available to work on our nation’s farms. Our members – and all dairy employers – need increased access to the H-2A program to meet our workforce needs.”

Mulhern noted that granting dairy access to visas for a temporary position lasting up to 364 days in a 12-month period would provide dairy treatment equal to sheep and goat herders and not require a statutory or regulatory change. The letter also makes clear that hiring American workers before supplementing with H-2A continues to be the goal of farmers as well as a legal requirement of the H-2A program.

NMPF also thanked federal agencies for recognizing agriculture as critical infrastructure, which has helped keep dairies in operation during the coronavirus crisis.

“Preserving a vibrant dairy producer community in America is indeed essential for the health of rural and urban communities across the country and critical for continued access to wholesome, fresh, nutritious food,” Mulhern wrote. “The availability of workers to help with the daily milking of our cows is crucial – it must be done.”

A copy of the letter is available here.