Weekly News Roundup

Congressman Frank Lucas of Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District provided insight into the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and how it affects farmers and ranchers during a live webinar with Oklahoma Farm Bureau on May 27.

The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Ag Fund, the organization’s political action committee, has endorsed 18 candidates and financially supported 41 candidates running for election in federal and state races.

The agriculture industry is finally getting some financial relief from the government. However, it isn’t helping Oklahoma farmers the way they’d hoped.

Over the past 15 years, we have seen a dramatic shift in the way cattle are marketed. In the mid-2000s, roughly 50%-60% of cattle sold were through the negotiated market. Over time, this method of marketing fed cattle has declined and been replaced by formula transactions.

Farmers and ranchers dealing with the significant impacts of the coronavirus may begin applying for direct payments from the $16 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program as of May 26.

OKFB joined the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry along with fellow agricultural organizations to thank producers for #StillFarming, even during the most difficult times.