Poultry, Livestock Producers Could See Relief From Latest Stimulus Package

Jan 22, 2021

By Seth Bodine

Congress has assigned $13 billion in the new COVID-19 relief bill to help farmers who have been affected by the pandemic. Those dollars include $1 billion for contract poultry and livestock growers, and would cover up to 80% of losses.

Farmers could receive $20 per acre for commodity crops like corn that have fallen in price by at least five percent.

John Newton is the chief economist for the American Farm Bureau, and says for many, the money is a lifeline.

"It costs a lot of money to put a crop in the ground every single year," said Newton. "When you lose your market immediately this helps them meet the needs of their lender, pay any outstanding obligations, they may have [and] pay their employees."

Newton said the aid is needed but it’s too soon to say if it's enough.

"I think it's a little early to make that judgment on whether or not it's enough, I think there are certainly producers that that still haven't got assistance that definitely need it," said Newton.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.