Rebound Idaho: Idaho's 'ag' industry hopes for lifted direct-payment restrictions by USDA
Rebound Idaho: Idaho's 'ag' industry hopes for lifted direct-payment restrictions by USDA
Idaho farmers and ranchers are suffering.
Can their businesses survive?
Well, let's review their options.
TEN -- HOPE COULDBE ON THE HORIZONFOR IDAHO FARMERS."THEY ARE GONNAMAKE SOMECHANGES.
WE'REALMOST CERTAIN OFTHAT... WEANTICIPATE IT'SGONNA COME ANYMOMENT."IDAHO NEWS 6 ISCOMMITTED TOCOVERING THESTORIES... THATMATTER TO YOU.AND BRINGING YOUTHE INFORMATIONYOU... YOUR FAMILY...AND OURCOMMUNITY NEED...TO BOUNCE BACKFROM THISCHALLENGING TIMETOGETHER.IT'S THE FOCUS OFOUR REBOUND IDAHOSERIES.AND TONIGHT... WEHAVE AN UPDATE FORYOU.AS WE REPORTEDLAST WEEK... IDAHOFARMERS TOLD USTHE CORONAVIRUSHAS COST THEMBILLIONS.AND THEY WERECONCERNED THATIDAHO'S LARGE,SINGLE-CROPFARMS... MIGHTSUFFER FROM AONE-SIZE-FITS ALLAPPROACH TOFEDERAL AID.OUR MADELINEWHITE REACHED OUTTO LEARN MORE...AND IDAHO'SCONGRESSIONALDELEGATION WROTEA LETTER TO THEPRESIDENT.MADELINE LEADSOUR REBOUNDCOVERAGETONIGHT... WITH HOWTHINGS COULD BECHANGING FOR THEBETTER.LAST WEEK WE TOLDYOU HOW IDAHOFARMERS ARE NOWELIGIBLE FOR THESBA'S ECONOMICINJURY DISASTERLOAN."WITH EIDL THERE'SONLY 10 THOUSANDDOLLARS OF THATTHAT'S FORGIVABLE.""HOW MUCH MONEYIS THAT FOR ANIDAHO FARMER?""SO ONE OF THOSESEMI-TRUCKS THATYOU SEE DRIVINGDOWN THE ROAD,ONE OF THOSE FULLOF FEED FOR OURDAIRIES IS THEAMOUNT THAT TENTHOUSAND DOLLARSADDS UP TO.""DROP IN THEBUCKET.""YEAH."MW STAND-UP HESAYS SIGNIFICANTRELIEF COULD COMEFROM THE U-S-D-A'S16 BILLION DOLLARDIRECT PAYMENTPROGRAM TOFARMERS PART OFTHE CARES ACTCONGRESS PASSED.BUT THERE'S ONLYONE PROBLEM."THERE ARE CAPS ONTHE AMOUNT OFSUPPORT PERCOMMODITY THATDIFFERENT FARMERSCAN GET AND SOMEAGRICULTUREOPERATIONS,PARTICULARLYLIVESTOCKOPERATIONS ANDTHE KIND OF THINGSWE SEE IN THE DAIRYINDUSTRIES DON'THAVE MULTIPLECOMMODITIES, THEYHAVE ONECOMMODITY, SOTHEY ONLY HAVE ONECAP."SO THE BIG FARMSLIKE YOU SEE INIDAHO..
WITHMULTIMILLIONDOLLAR PRODUCTIONCOSTS..
ARE ONLYELIGIBLE FOR THEAMOUNTS ON YOURSCREEN."AND SO WHAT WE'RETRYING TO DO RIGHTNOW IS TO GETFLEXIBILITY WITH THEDIRECTOR OFAGRICULTURE THESECRETARY OFAGRICULTURE TOMAKE IT CLEAR THATIN THOSE INDUSTRIESOF WHICH MANY AREIN IDAHO THAT THECAP SYSTEM NEEDSTO BE CHANGED.""PRODUCERS NEEDRELIEF REGARDLESSOF THE SIZE OF THEFARM.""THIS IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALLSCENARIO.""NO.
CERTAINLY NOT."BUT AFTER HEAVYPRESSURE INWASHINGTON FROMLAWMAKERS ANDINDUSTRY GROUPS,AS POLITICOREPORTS.
U-S-D-ASECRETARY SONNYPERDUE WENT ONTHE RECORD SAYINGTHEY'LL INCREASETHE CAPS BEFORERULES ARE FINALIZEDTHIS MONTH.WE CAUGHT UP WITHSENATOR RISCHABOUT WHAT THISCOULD MEAN FORIDAHO'S AGWORKERS."BUT WHAT AMOUNTSWILL THE CAPS BEADJUSTED TO ORCOULD THEY BELIFTED ENTIRELY?""WE DON'T KNOWTHAT YET BUTOBVIOUSLY IT'SGONNA BE ANIMPROVEMENT OVERTHE 125,000.""THEY ARE GONNAMAKE SOMECHANGES, WE ARECERTAIN OF THAT.AND IT COULD COMEAT ANY MOMENT."MW STAND-UP- TODATE NAEREBOUTSAYS IDAHOFARMERS STILLHAVEN'T SEEN A DIMEFROM THAT DIRECTPAYMENT PROGRAM.WE'LL KEEP YOUUPDATED AS WELEARN MORE.
YOUCAN FOLLOW ALONGONIDAHONEWS6.COM/REBOUND.
MADELINEWHITE... IDAHO NEWS6."TODAY IS THE FIR
