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Wisconsin’s Governor says he’ll announce direct payments to farmers “in a day or two”

Wisconsin’s Governor is almost ready to release details about the state’s direct payments to farmers using federal coronavirus relief money.

Democrat Tony Evers says, “We are very, very close. I’d say within a day or two of announcing what that whole package will look like. Obviously, dairy and agriculture will be a priority.”

Evers says Wisconsin has received the 1.9 billion in federal CARES Act funding.  The Governor appeared on the Dairy Signal podcast hosted by the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Tuesday, where he told producers he is still consulting with agriculture leaders before releasing details of the plan. “We did receive the one-point-nine billion dollars and we’re in the process of making decisions around how that will be distributed and most of it will be either used to distribute to agriculture and other businesses that are struggling, but also we have to pay for testing and the other things.”

Evers received a request from eight Wisconsin agriculture groups in an April 21st letter seeking 50 million for direct payments.  The Governor has not said how much the direct payment program will use, but, “I feel very confident that any application or request for funds will be as simple as possible.”

So far, Wisconsin is the only state considering a state-run direct payment program using discretionary CARES Act funding.

letter requesting direct payments to farmers was sent April 21st by Wisconsin Farm Bureau, the Wisconsin Corn Growers Association, the Dairy Business Association, Wisconsin Soybean Association, Wisconsin Pork Association, Wisconsin Cattlemen’s Association, the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association, and the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association.

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