Jennifer Dorsett
Field Editor

Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) and Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation spearheaded a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, asking him to explore all options within his authority to provide relief to cattle ranchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Texas farmers and ranchers are really hurting right now,” TFB Director of Government Affairs Regan Beck said. “Live cattle prices have bottomed out, and more than a few folks are afraid of going bankrupt.”

The letter, signed by 26 state Farm Bureaus, calls on Perdue to use available federal authority to assist cattlemen and women during this national emergency.

The letter to Perdue said live cattle futures have been down roughly 28 percent, posing a major threat to U.S. ranchers’ ability to continue operating.

“Cattlemen and women have lost value on their livestock due to the dramatic market drop that occurred in response to the pandemic,” the groups said.

Livestock markets were limit down for days in a row amid global uncertainty and fears of COVID-19, while boxed beef prices spiked.

Legislators heard the challenges from their rural constituents and responded.

Congressional leaders from Texas worked to provide relief through passage of the “Phase III” bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provides $9.5 billion to assist agriculture.
The groups specifically asked Perdue and USDA to “direct support to the stocker and cow-calf operators as these producers have shouldered the brunt of this market decline.”

State Farm Bureaus also requested Perdue find opportunities within USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation to offset losses from depressed cattle prices and to explore the use of the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) for aid.

According to the USDA Farm Service Agency, which oversees ELAP, disaster assistance may be provided to farmers and ranchers in the event of certain adverse natural events as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

“This global pandemic certainly qualifies as a natural disaster,” the groups said.

Farm Bureau also requested USDA to monitor price manipulation that may be occurring within the cattle industry.

“We’re encouraged that there’s money that is set aside to help ranchers that hasn’t been available in the past,” Beck said. “At the same time, we’re also hearing a lot of concerns about the industry because large profits are being made by different sectors of the industry while prices are low for cow-calf producers. We just want to make sure that’s monitored closely.”

Click here to read the letter that was submitted on April 2.