Wisconsin's farm support program has provided $50 million to 20,000 farmers affected by COVID-19. | pixabay
Wisconsin's farm support program has provided $50 million to 20,000 farmers affected by COVID-19. | pixabay
Wisconsin's farm support program has provided $50 million to 20,000 farmers affected by COVID-19, according to a CBS report.
Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) announced the allocation of the funds last month, noting that the funds would be distributed directly to Wisconsin farmers who have been impacted by the pandemic.
“Our Farm Support Program helped more than 20,000 farmers in 2021," Evers announced on Twitter. "That’s a big deal, folks. When farmers succeed, all of Wisconsin succeeds. We’ve got to look out for our ag industry and ensure its long-term success.”
This marks the third round of funding from the Farm Support Program, which recorded a 33% increase in applications over the previous two rounds.
In 2020, the first two rounds of funding provided over $50 million to approximately 15,000 farmers statewide, bringing the total amount Evers has authorized to be paid to Wisconsin farmers through the program to $100 million.
“Our farmers have always had our backs, and we've got to have theirs," Evers told CBS. "I'm proud to direct these funds to more than 20,000 Wisconsin farmers to help bolster their businesses, support our rural communities and ensure the long-term recovery and success of our farmers, their families and agricultural industries across our state.”
Wisconsin's agricultural business generates $104.8 billion in revenue per year and currently employs 435,700 people in the state, accounting for 11.8% of total employment, according to data provided by the state's Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Along with cheese, Wisconsin leads the country in processing snap beans, dried whey for humans, milk goats, corn for silage, cranberries, ginseng and mink pelts.
Wisconsin, which possesses the most dairy farms of any state, currently has 64,793 farms spanning 14.3 million acres.
Farmers worldwide have been required to significantly alter their methods of operation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, encountering challenges such as broken supply lines and rapidly fluctuating markets, according to a Bayer report.
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