Nick Bowman

The agriculture sector has been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying quarantine policies. Many of the largest purchasers of agricultural products—including restaurants, schools and hotels—have closed or operated at limited capacity for months due to the pandemic. With a supply chain built around these buyers and a shortage of workers, many farmers have been forced to destroy crops, dairy and dairy-related products, and livestock. Dairy farmers have been dumping millions of gallons of milk; chicken processors are destroying hundreds of thousands of eggs; and vegetable farmers are plowing acres of fields. This program outlines how the agriculture sector is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outlook for American farmers.

Presentations:

Michael Nepveux, Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C. Allison Crittenden, Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation, Washington, D.C.