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

American farm.
(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.