CCA continues to work closely with NCBA to ensure that the federal government eliminates any obstacles in the food supply chain. On March 17, NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane wrote to Vice President Pence outlining administrative actions which would protect and streamline the nation’s beef supply chain.
In response to COVID-19’s impact on the cattle markets, NCBA CEO Colin Woodall wrote to the North American Meat Institute on March 18 asking NAMI’s members “to be aggressive in the cash market and base their bids on the increased cutout value we are seeing rather than the futures” to ensure market liquidity and transparency.
CCA has also been working with NCBA and our allies in the nation’s capital to ensure that all producer losses directly associated with COVID-19 are addressed by Congress. On March 19, NCBA sent a letter to Congressional leadership asking that Congress “provide for an increase in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Commodity Credit Corporation’s (USDA – CCC) borrowing authority from $30 to $50 billion, fully fund the replenishment of CCC, and ensure that livestock producers will be eligible for assistance in this time of need.”
CCA has been in contact with the offices of Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris and asked them to support the Phase III bill, particularly the extended borrowing authority for the CCC. Additionally, CCA sent a letter to California’s Congressional Delegation outlining CCA’s priorities for legislative relief from COVID-19.
The Phase III stimulus bill was signed by the President on the afternoon of March 27.