COVID Impacts on Farming

Since March 2020, people all over the world have been impacted by the Coronavirus. The pandemic has caused shutdowns on multiple levels from total state shutdowns to the local levels, impacting businesses everywhere. This includes the people who put food on our tables the farmers. Below we discuss a few ways this has impacted farmers and ranchers across the nation.

Job losses

By the summer, unemployment rate in rural areas of the country jumped to 8.8 percent. Many farmers rely on off-the-farm jobs to keep insurance and extra income to help support their families. There's also been a decline in workers for pork and beef farming operations.

Rising costs for consumers and farmers

While we've seen rising food costs, farmers are dealing with circumstances that have forced them to dump milk, euthanize livestock and dispose of other perishable products. Farmers are receiving less money for their cattle (up to 20 percent more) and we are paying up to five percent more for beef this year. Milk prices are also five percent higher for consumers.

Global trade disruption

Covid-19 has disrupted economics across the globe, slowing down major shipments of tradeable goods. Trade deals like the U.S.  China Trade Agreement has been impacted greatly, causing concern about if they can uphold their end of the deal and purchase $200 million in U.S. goods over the next two years. Some trade deals have even been canceled.

Regardless of the obstacles farmers are currently facing, farmers are resilient and continue to tackle any challenges as they come along.

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