Trump announces $19 billion bailout for ailing farmers

President Donald Trump has announced a $19 billion bailout package for farmers hurt financially by the coronavirus crisis.

The aid plan includes $16 billion in direct payments to farmers to boost their incomes, along with $3 billion in government purchases of meat, dairy products and other foods, the president said Friday at a White House briefing.

The Agriculture Department will receive another $14 billion in July for further assistance.

“This will help our farmers and our ranchers, and it’s money well deserved,” Trump said.

The combination of direct payments to farmers and bulk government purchases of commodities parallels the approach the Trump administration followed in its $28 billion agriculture trade bailout over the past two years. Farmers and rural communities are a critical part of Trump’s political base as he seeks re-election.

The commodities purchased will be distributed through food banks and other nutrition programs serving the poor, school children and the elderly.


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