Additional Coronavirus Aid Not Expected Until Late July

Discussions are taking place behind the scenes in Washington D.C., on the next coronavirus aid package. However, what that aid may look like won’t be known until later this month.

Central Washington’s Dan Newhouse said with so many unknowns that remain about the pandemic it’s difficult to talk specifics about any kind of farmer assistance. He noted one of the big questions is what long-term impact will COVID-19 have on Northwest crops, many of which have yet to be harvested.

“Talking with the Secretary of Agriculture over the last couple of months, there’s an understanding there at USDA as well, that as we move through this we will step up as we determine what is most necessary and needed by our producers in the country.”

Newhouse said since it’s too early to know what impact coronavirus has had on markets and trade destinations, it’s too early to give specifics what a coronavirus package would look like. Others lawmakers in D.C. says they would like to wait and see the state of the overall economy, how much of the initial stimulus package remains, and the state of the Paycheck Protection Program before talks of another round of stimulus gets serious.

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