US dairy organizations call for aid to other nations affected by coronavirus

“As a nation, we are blessed to have an abundance of dairy available, even during this difficult time. Taking steps to share that abundance with the world will provide a lifeline for regions where food is needed while supplying an additional outlet for American farmers to share their abundance of dairy products,”​ wrote Michael Dykes, Jim Mulhern and Tom Vilsack, the respective presidents and CEOs of three leading U.S. dairy organizations, in the letter dated May 18.

“We encourage a focus in particular on countries that have indicated a food or nutrition deficit in their country during these times and that lack the infrastructure or resources to reliably deliver dairy supplies through robust commercial channels.”​

Dairy farmers are facing some of the steepest losses of all major U.S. agricultural producers – potentially $8.2bn, based on a comparison of current USDA projections with pre-crisis estimates. US dairy supplies available for international distribution remain ample, making targeted food-aid shipped worldwide a promising avenue for helping populations struggling with localized hunger and the coronavirus crisis.

Source: dairyreporter.com