China, despite economic woes and its battle with COVID-19, is buying more foreign dairy this year, but the increased imports are doing far less for U.S. producers than the industry had hoped for after the “phase one” trade pact went into effect in February.

As businesses closed their doors and stay-at-home orders were put in place, consumers purchased more dairy products, the National Milk Producers Federation says.

Senate Democrats, setting the stage for a new COVID-19 relief bill, are proposing to spend $8 billion to bolster the food supply chain and to redistribute surplus commodities.

Cattle, dairy and hog producers as well as corn and soybean growers are expected to collect the largest shares of USDA’s $16 billion in coronavirus relief payments, which are designed to compensate for losses in sales or market value between January and April.

Farmers can start enrolling next week for $16 billion in coronavirus relief payments, but the Agriculture Department has decided to prorate the aid to ensure there is enough money to go around, Agri-Pulse has learned.

The European Union's plan to buy up skim milk powder and butter from European producers is spurring U.S. producers to join in protest with farmers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay.

House Democrats released a massive new coronavirus relief bill that would provide $16.5 billion in additional direct payments to farmers and authorize USDA to compensate producers who have to dispose of livestock and poultry that can’t be sold because of processing disruptions.

The Agriculture Department awarded more than $1.2 billion in contracts to distributors to deliver fresh produce, milk, dairy products and pork and chicken directly to needy Americans.

Stung by scenes of farmers dumping milk and plowing under crops, the Trump administration is launching a never-before-tried plan to use the nation’s commercial food distributors to buy fresh produce, dairy products and meat and give them away to needy families across the country.

USDA’s $19 billion COVID-19 aid package for farmers may fall well short of compensating producers for the estimated damage of the pandemic, and the department has an ambitious and novel plan to distribute USDA-purchased commodities to needy people.