News

Wisconsin’s Governor pledges another round of farmer-direct relief payments

Wisconsin’s Governor confirms there will be another direct payment to ag producers from federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Tony Evers told reporters Monday, “We wanted to get the Main Street ones, the small business one out ASAP and we are in the process of looking at and very likely be able to get some money out to the farmers of this state.”

The Governor says the new round of pandemic assistance is still being planned, and he is looking for input from farmers, farm groups, and others in agribusiness. “It’s premature, but we’re going to get it out as soon as possible. Let’s put it that way. As soon as we have all of the I’s dotted and T’s crossed, we will get it out the door and get the information out.”

Evers followed the federal CFAP program’s direct payments with 50-million dollars from the CARES Act for additional direct-to-farmer payments last June.  About 10 thousand of the state’s 26-thousand eligible farms applied for the assistance.  Evers says he does not believe the state hit all the “sweet spots” in the last program and his administration is still working on the qualifications and guidelines for this next round of help.