During Vermont visit, US agriculture secretary announces dairy relief, discusses pollution progress
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced a dairy assistance program during a visit to Vermont on Thursday and heard about farmers’ work to reduce pollution in Lake Champlain.
At a roundtable event with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., at the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Vilsack unveiled details of the Pandemic Market Volatility Assistance Program, which he said would distribute $350 million to farmers across the country.
The program is expected to cover 80% of the revenue difference per month between July and December of 2020. The pay rate, Vilsack said, will vary by region.
When the Covid-19 pandemic prompted restaurants and schools to close, the demand for dairy dwindled across the country. Nationally, stories circulated of farmers dumping their milk, and erratic weather patterns across Vermont contributed to their struggles.
Read more: https://vtdigger.org/2021/08/19/during-vermont-visit-us-agriculture-secretary-announces-dairy-relief-discusses-pollution-progress/