WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both Iowa Republicans, and Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar sent a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding assistance for swine producers.

They want the USDA to make sure that swine producers and contract swine growers are eligible for the assistance Congress secured for them. The bipartisan push comes after the Biden administration didn’t mention assistance for pork producers during the Pandemic Assistance for Producers June or July announcements regarding the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program.

“We’re concerned that USDA’s announcement on June 15 that described its intent to finalize this program within 60 days only focused on poultry growers and made no mention of providing assistance to contract swine growers,” the senators said in their letter. “Additionally, many pork producers have been waiting for USDA to roll out the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program swine top-up payments that were announced in January of this year.”

Late last year, Congress passed a bipartisan COVID relief package that included assistance to contract livestock and poultry producers, as well as to agricultural producers, growers, processors, specialty crops, non-specialty crops, dairy, livestock, and poultry. On January 15, USDA announced Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 top-up payments for swine producers with approved CFAP 1 applications.