Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking lawmakers to provide more critical resources to farmers hurt by COVID-19’s impact on the food system. They’re also looking for more help for rural communities struggling with the pandemic’s impacts. Many of the country’s struggling farmers were left out of the initial round of assistance, while some who did receive help are still being hurt by the impact of COVID-19. As Congress is set to consider additional aid this summer, Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall sent a letter to Congressional leadership listing the areas of need. “The economic losses across the U.S. ag sector are broad-based, directly impacting farmers and ranchers as well as their supply chain partners, from the input providers to end-users,” Duvall says in the letter. “Producers have witnessed their markets shrink overnight or even disappear, while supply chains have been stretched to the limit in response to COVID-19.” Some of the Farm Bureau’s priorities include extending relief funding for losses incurred after April 15, 2020. They’re asking Congress to replenish funding for the Commodity Credit Corporation to the tune of $68 billion. The Farm Bureau wants support for biofuel facilities, assistance for independent and contract poultry producers, as well as other requests.