Iowa’s agriculture industry has been hit hard this year, not only with drought but with impacts from the derecho and COVID-19.

The U.S. Congress is continuing to negotiate the finalized version of a second round of relief funding for those impacted by COVID-19. U.S. Senator Charles Grassley is confident that some of the bill’s funds will be delivered to farmers.

“I want to make clear that we’re going to put at least $20 billion for farming in the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economy Securities) Act, if we get a CARES Act. But that’s being put there regardless of the damage that’s done because the damage that’s done 92-percent of the farmers have crop insurance, then there’s the PLC (Price Loss Coverage) and the ARC (Agriculture and Risk Coverage) program. Then with the bins that have blown down, people have private health insurance for those.”   

Grassley notes one silver lining for farmers is that the first phase of the new Chinese trade agreement seems to be progressing along. He says China has been purchasing more U.S. beef and pork, along with corn and soybeans.

“We sold 588,000 tons of soybeans last week. Two weeks ago there were, the first time, the largest one-day sale of corn. It broke all records and then that record was broke the next week by yet more corn being sold. So China is trying to keep up their end of the bargain.”

He hopes the second federal COVID-19 relief funding bill will be passed soon.