USDA's agriculture aid program 'is a joke,' farmer says

The Department of Agriculture says it's working "at lightning speed" to help get fresh food from farms to Americans in need after the coronavirus pandemic simultaneously created a surge in demand for food banks and a plunge from farmers' normal buyers, like restaurants, Politico reports. But many in the produce business don't think a recent $19 billion direct aid package and purchasing program is enough for the industry.

To put the farm crisis into context, the United States Fresh Produce Associate estimates its members are losing out on $1 billion per week, and the department so far hasn't been able to keep pace. "We are super frustrated that they're not being aggressive enough," said Dennis Nuxoll, a lobbyist for Western Growers. "It's a sound idea, but it doesn't match the magnitude of need."

Nuxoll also argued that the USDA has the ability to buy several times more than they plan to.

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Tony DiMare, who runs a produce company called DiMare fresh, also said he appreciated the department's intentions, but he was less diplomatic than Nuxoll when sharing is thoughts on the plan itself. "This thing is a joke," he said. Read more at Politico.