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Vilsack says no funds for pork buy request
U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says the USDA does not have 50-million dollars to buy more pork – in response to a request last week from nine U.S. governors. Last Friday, Iowa Governor Chet Culver, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and five governors of other states asked the USDA to buy more pork for government feeding programs as a way to boost the sagging pork industry. But, Vilsack says the program doesn’t have that kind of money to spend and is down to its last “$7 or 8 million because there’s been such a demand for so many kinds of commodities, including pork.”He says in the past fiscal year, about $62 million worth of pork purchases have been made.” Vilsack says. But, he adds, there may be more money in the pipeline this fall when the new fiscal year begins October 1st.
Over the past few months the USDA has used money from the federal economic stimulus to buy dairy products as well as pork. In July, the USDA bought 750,000 pounds of ham for government feeding programs, like the free and reduced-price school lunch programs that continue in the summertime. “We are very sensitive to the concerns of the pork industry.”
Besides Culver, governors from Colorado, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Wisconsin signed the letter to Obama.
(thanks to Radio Iowa)
Tags: Consumer Issues, Farm Income/Prices, Hogs/Pork, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, USDA, Wisconsin
I believe government spending is totally out of control. But if we can spend $3 billion to help people buy new cars, can’t we find a measly $50 million to help the struggling pork industry and provide some food aid at the same time?