With help from Helena Bottemiller Evich
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— More lawsuits against meatpackers could be on the way after a federal court initially ruled against a Smithfield Foods processing plant in Milan, Mo., where a whistleblower alleged workers aren’t being protected from the coronavirus.
— There’s rising pressure to include rural-specific solutions in the next coronavirus response package considered by Congress. A new report out today calls for stimulus programs targeted to towns with fewer than 50,000 people.
— The EU is re-imposing tariffs on a trio of crops to help insulate European farmers from plummeting commodity prices. The bloc is also eyeing measures to mitigate a growing wine glut with restaurants closed and exports drying up.
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MEATPACKING WORKERS SCORE A LEGAL WIN: A federal judge ordered Smithfield to comply with public health guidelines at the Milan pork plant while a lawsuit over health hazards at the site proceeds toward a hearing on Thursday, writes Pro Ag’s Liz Crampton.
The case is the first of its kind seeking to enlist the courts to force meat processors to follow federal guidance for essential employees still working amid the pandemic — and it could open the door to additional challenges against major meatpackers.
The lawsuit was brought by an anonymous employee who claims Smithfield failed to provide sufficient protective gear or social distancing measures for workers. Public Justice, the nonprofit legal group representing the worker, said Monday that it will also take other meatpackers to court, per Liz and POLITICO’s Rebecca Rainey.
Slaughterhouses have become hotspots for coronavirus infections, forcing at least 13 plants to close at some point in the past two months, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
Health investigators are tracking 159 cases of the virus at a JBS USA plant in Cactus, Texas, where thousands of employees — largely immigrants and refugees — are still reporting for work every day at the massive processing site.
At the same time, there’s concern about potential meat shortages. Tyson Foods warned on Sunday that “the food supply chain is breaking,” and Smithfield’s CEO said earlier this month that the closures were “pushing our country perilously close to the edge.”
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said Monday that she’s hoping to reopen a Smithfield pork plant in Sioux Falls within “a matter of days.” The company shut down operations there earlier this month after hundreds of workers contracted the virus.
Meanwhile in Mexico: The Mexican government’s decision to shutter hundreds of factories, considered unessential for producing food and medical supplies, has caused further disruptions in the U.S., writes Pro Trade’s Sabrina Rodriguez.
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RURAL RELIEF IDEAS FOR THE NEXT STIMULUS PLAN: The liberal Center for American Progress today is out with a report on how to help rural communities confront the coronavirus and economic damage, the latest in a string of proposals floated by lawmakers and think tanks ahead of the next federal rescue package.
CAP Senior Economist Olugbenga Ajilore argues that the initial stimulus programs failed to help less populated areas of the country, other than “some funding for rural health care and telemedicine.” The next bill Congress passes should expand the federal share of Medicaid payments to help states facing budget shortfalls and earmark funding for “micropolitan areas” and small towns with fewer than 50,000 people, Ajilore wrote.
— “These are the areas that have been struggling with rural hospital closures and other infrastructure issues such as the lack of broadband access,” he added.
— Disconnect in the discourse? Ajilore also called for a nationwide stay-at-home order and pointed out that discussions about “reopening” the economy are premature as many parts of the country “have not even come close to reaching the peak of the outbreak.”
On the Hill: There’s plenty of interest among lawmakers in more rural-centric policies. Senate Democrats last week rolled out a report warning that more isolated areas “face disproportional challenges that put them at high risk” and laying out their own rural policy ideas. Both chambers intend to be back in session on Monday.
LIKE FEDERAL, LIKE STATE: Much like the Agriculture Department’s new commodity purchase program, New York plans to buy up excess farm goods from upstate producers and deliver them to food banks across the state, reports POLITICO New York’s Anna Gronewold.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo rolled out the “Nourish New York” plan on Monday, but it was light on details. The state also plans to partner with Chobani, the Dairy Farmers of America and other processors to turn excess milk into yogurt, cheese and other dairy goods.
USDA’s fresh box timeline: The department, for its part, issued a solicitation on Friday to participate in its new plan to buy up $100 million per month each of produce, meat, and dairy. Offers are due May 1 under USDA’s accelerated timeline.
Don’t call them Harvest Boxes? The program is called “Farmers to Families Food Box Program.” USDA on Monday posted an FAQ page for businesses interested in participating.
EUROPE SLAPS DUTIES ON GRAIN IMPORTS: The European Commission re-introduced tariffs on imports of maize, sorghum and rye in a bid to shield EU producers from plummeting crop prices around the world. The three crops have been duty-free since March 2018, but now they’ll face an import tariff of 5.26 euros per ton, or roughly $5.70, per POLITICO Europe’s Eddy Wax.
On the flip side, several countries have put in place limited export restrictions on food and farm goods, though trade experts say the measures so far haven’t distorted world markets. G-20 farm ministers last week pledged to ensure that food and agricultural supplies continue flowing freely across international borders.
Brussels is also considering steps to keep the bloc from drowning in its own wine, Eddy writes. Winegrowers are warning that there’s not enough room in their cellars to store wine from this year’s harvest unless the EU provides emergency help, like paying to distill more than a billion bottles into industrial ethanol.
— The Small Business Administration resumed taking applications for forgivable small business loans through the so-called Paycheck Protection Program, but the relaunch was marred by technical problems and complaints from banks that were unable to process a backlog of hundreds of thousands of loan applicants, writes Pro Financial Services’ Zachary Warmbrodt.
— A conservative property rights group representing New Mexico cattle producers is suing the EPA over the Trump administration’s new Waters of the U.S. replacement rule, arguing that the proposal still gives the federal government too much power to regulate protected waterways. Pro Energy’s Annie Snider has the details.
— Arizona farmers are in limbo as federal and state officials negotiate funding for water projects. USDA conditionally awarded $10 million for projects in the state’s central farmlands, where growers are bracing for their supply from the Colorado River to be shut off. More from the Arizona Republic.
— Bayer is taking a harder line in talks to settle allegations that its Roundup weedkiller causes cancer, now that the economic downturn has forced the company to preserve more cash, Reuters reports.
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