Micheal Clements, NAFB News Service

Senate negotiations continue on the next coronavirus relief package. While those close to the talks suggest there will not be a bill ready until sometime next month, there is promise for additional relief to agriculture. Senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican who sits on the Senate Agriculture Committee, told Agri-Pulse this week the package will likely include an additional $20 billion in Commodity Credit Corporation funding. That $20 billion would be in addition to the $14 billion already authorized in a previous relief package not yet used by the Department of Agriculture. Meanwhile, in a video addressing the National Association of Farm Broadcasting this week, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue hinted at further aid through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Perdue says USDA is considering adding more commodities to the program and is evaluating what farmers need from future relief. Farm groups continue to plead for additional aid for farmers, including the National Pork Producers Council, which estimates hog farmers face a $5 billion loss from pandemic market implications.