Washington, D.C. (May 13, 2020)—“As the House of Representatives considers additional legislation to address the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, NCFC is pleased that the draft of the HEROES Act, H.R. 6800, contains provisions targeted to agriculture.
“The food and agriculture value chain has been strained to the breaking point by this pandemic and thousands of producers across the country are facing catastrophic losses through no fault of their own. This is particularly true for livestock, dairy and specialty crop producers and the provisions in the HEROES Act will help provide a lifeline to them in this time of dire need.
“In addition, the bill contains needed funding to expand mental health programs for farmers, an issue that NCFC recently raised in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. As our letter noted, ‘[t]he frustration of seeing the value of your hard work going for naught can compound feelings of depression. For some farmers, mental health may become as or more important than financial health. Unfortunately, money will not heal all problems.’
“We look forward to continuing our work with policy makers to ensure that any legislation to address the COVID-19 pandemic recognizes its impact on America’s farmers and rural communities.”
About NCFC
Since 1929, NCFC has been the voice of America’s farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn composed of nearly 2,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. NCFC members also include 26 state and regional councils of cooperatives. Farmer cooperatives allow individual farmers the ability to own and lead organizations that are essential for continued competitiveness in both the domestic and international markets.
America’s farmer-owned cooperatives provide a comprehensive array of services for their members. These diverse organizations handle, process and market virtually every type of agricultural commodity. They also provide farmers with access to infrastructure necessary to manufacture, distribute and sell a variety of farm inputs. Additionally, they provide credit and related financial services, including export financing.
