# USDA Announces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program | USDA

> USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, a $19 billion relief package. It includes $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers based on actual losses, plus purchases of agricultural products for distribution to people in need.

- Date: 2020-04-17 · published 2020-04-17T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: policy · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/53623-usda-announces-coronavirus-food-assistance-program-usda
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md), [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md), [Chicken](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CHICKEN.md)

## Why it matters

Direct payments can cushion producers' finances and keep herds and acreage in production, while government purchases of dairy, meat and produce support prices for those commodities during the demand disruption.

## Read by commodity

- HOGS: bullish ▲
- MILK: bullish ▲
- CHICKEN: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2021-01-05 | [Milk Prices Surge After USDA Food-Box Aid Program Extended - Bloomberg](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49303-milk-prices-surge-after-usda-food-box-aid-program-extended-bloomberg.md) | +7.3% | +4.5% |
| MILK | 2020-04-20 | [Farmers to Get up to $250,000 Each in Coronavirus Cash, With More Possible](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53628-farmers-to-get-up-to-250-000-each-in-coronavirus-cash-with-more-possible.md) | -1.6% | -8.7% |
| MILK | 2020-04-18 | [Trump’s farm aid bailout program, explained \| Vox](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53627-trump-s-farm-aid-bailout-program-explained-vox.md) | -1.6% | -8.7% |
| MILK | 2019-10-28 | [USDA purchases $50 million in fluid milk](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4106-usda-purchases-50-million-in-fluid-milk.md) | +8.1% | +9.1% |
| MILK | 2026-10-02 | [US and China Unveil $30 Billion Tariff-Cut Framework for Agricultural Exports - Beijing Post](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4457-us-and-china-unveil-30-billion-tariff-cut-framework-for-agricultural-exports.md) | -0.7% | +0.4% |
| HOGS | 2020-04-20 | [Farmers to Get up to $250,000 Each in Coronavirus Cash, With More Possible](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53628-farmers-to-get-up-to-250-000-each-in-coronavirus-cash-with-more-possible.md) | +24.0% | +48.0% |
| HOGS | 2020-04-18 | [Trump’s farm aid bailout program, explained \| Vox](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53627-trump-s-farm-aid-bailout-program-explained-vox.md) | +24.0% | +48.0% |
| HOGS | 2020-02-24 | [The 2020 Outlook for U.S. Agriculture From USDA’s Chief Economist - Farm Policy News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54630-the-2020-outlook-for-u-s-agriculture-from-usda-s-chief-economist-farm-policy.md) | -3.6% | -0.9% |

## Sources

- usda.gov: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2020/04/17/usda-announces-coronavirus-food-assistance-program

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.