Worries about continued operations of meat packers, anguish over milk being dumped and a hope that people have a new appreciation for agriculture: the impressions of American farmers and ranchers about the impact of COVID-19 are much the same as those in Canada.
A farm country update organized by the United States-based Farm Journal asked five American and one Saskatchewan farmer to discuss the ways in which the pandemic has affected them and their operations.
“We’re seeing a lot of impact here in Pennsylvania from the coronavirus,” said Chris Hoffman, a Pennsylvania hog farmer.
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“One of the things we’ve really been discussing as a group of farmers is our packers, our processors are finding that having people show up to work has really been kind of a challenge.”
Many processing plants in the state are within urban areas and with a steady supply of pigs being produced, slowdowns or stoppages at packing plants would present major problems.
“Being able to get pigs into the processing plants, they’re slowing down due to the fact that labour within those urban settings, folks not showing up. We’re going to slowly start seeing a backlog,” said Hoffman.
He also said dairy farmers in the state are dumping milk, having lost the school supply and restaurant markets.
In Edinburg, Texas, Bret Erickson said coronavirus has completely changed his produce business that grows and markets fresh greens, onions and melons. He has had to hire more cleaning staff while also encouraging current workers to keep reporting for work at the packing shed and the fields.
Besides the threat of workers becoming ill with the virus, a government stimulus package available to people without jobs could act against the operation.
“With the stimulus money, it’s going to be more lucrative for a lot of folks to be at home than it is to be at work,” said Erickson. Though the stimulus is well intentioned and needed by many, he said, “are we going to be ready in case we see an exodus of workers?”
In White Cloud, Kansas, Ken McCauley said April 2 that the planters are rolling.
“There’s several guys planting corn as of yesterday and quite a few more today. The soil’s perfect and you know when that happens, it’s time to go,” he said.
“Life’s not normal here at all but it’s pretty normal when you just think about what we’re doing here out on the farm. This seclusion is kind of putting everybody on edge.”
Michael John, a cattle producer near Columbia, Missouri, said state exceptions on truck weights have helped with livestock hauling. Feed mills continue to operate and although the state was on a lockdown, cattle could still be delivered to plants.
His worry is that the cattle industry is full of traditionalists who may not have taken adequate steps to protect their assets if things change.
Kristjan Hebert, who farms near Moosomin, Sask., said personal lives have changed more than day-to-day farming operations so far, with children out of school and extra-curricular activities on hold.
However, the constant stream of news about COVID-19 and details about government programs being developed are hard to keep track of.
“I think the big thing is we’re spending a lot of time around the mental health and the team wellness and their family wellness as much as we are around talking about COVID,” he said.
“It worries me almost more, the stress and anxiety that people are feeling.”
Hebert also spoke about a potential bright spot during this crisis, that being easier access to capital and favourable rates that might allow farm improvement or expansion.
“Depending on your relationship with your banker, I think working capital for stronger operations is going to be available and there is going to some opportunities for expansion.
“I think the biggest thing is just to not stick our head in the sand when it comes to the current crisis and miss a bunch of opportunities because they’re coming quicker and ending faster than they do in what we call a normal time.”
