Pork producers appreciate the funding of the Pork Pandemic Program from the local market

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Pork producers appreciate the funding of the Pork Pandemic Program from the local market

A funding change allows the USDA to begin making full payments to hog producers under a pandemic relief program.

Keri Retalick of the Wisconsin Pork Producers Association told Brownfield that this is very good news for producers. “They had quite an impact in that period from April to September 2020 during the pandemic when market prices were down and/or we had producers who were close to having to euthanize animals.”

Retallick says the past few years have been a tough time for pork producers. “There was a market problem before the pandemic, and then the market went down again, and now the market is back, but now, our expenses are much higher, so the return on our investments is again on a different scale, but they payments will definitely help.”

The program will pay $54 per head of eligible hogs for up to 10,000 pigs, and the USDA expects to issue nearly $63 million in payments to hog producers.

Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says USDA has been able to increase funding for the Swine Onsite Pandemic Program, allowing the agency to make the full payment to producers.

Payments are made to producers who sold pigs through a spot sale between April 16^th from 2020 and September 1^St, 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic disrupted markets. USDA says this program is part of the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative and addresses gaps in previous assistance for hog producers..