American contract growers, who raise chickens for poultry processing companies, have not yet received federal assistance during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, according to U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers.
“As the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) continues to assist farmers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, we respectfully request that the department expedite the rulemaking process to administer direct payments to contract chicken growers,” wrote Sen. Wicker and his colleagues in a June 4 letter sent to USDA Secretary Thomas Vilsack. “We also encourage you to ensure that adequate funding is available for USDA to deliver these payments in full.”
The lawmakers wrote that many contract chicken growers suffered substantial losses when processing facilities were forced to reduce or suspend production during the pandemic, in turn threatening many smaller and family-owned farms.
“COVID-19 has severely affected the bottom lines of agricultural producers across the country, including many chicken growers in our home states,” they wrote. “We recognize that it is challenging to determine how losses and payments should be calculated fairly, given variations in the timing of when growers receive and finish raising their flocks. Still, we encourage you to proceed swiftly with making fair payments.”
Among the congressional members who joined Sen. Wicker in signing the letter were fellow co-chair of the Senate Chicken Caucus U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), and 15 other senators, including U.S. Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC).
U.S. Reps. Steve Womack (R-AR), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Billy Long (R-MO), French Hill (R-AR), Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), John Joyce (R-PA), and Elaine Luria (D-VA) were among the representatives who also signed the letter.