COVID-19 Ag Challenges Pt 1

COVID-19 Ag Challenges Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
I’m Bob Larson. Every American, no matter where you live or what kind of work you do, is trying to figure out how to live with the COVID-19 coronavirus, including the farmers and ranchers who supply our food.

Washington Farm Bureau CEO John Stuhlmiller says especially this time of year, folks in the ag industry are still punching the clock …

STUHLMILLER … “The important part is to remember that growing season continues, so yeah, everybody’s planting or starting to harvest some of the early crops and so that’s moving. And the good news is, at this point in time, everything farm to market is going well.”

But, Stuhlmiller says, the supply chain can only go so fast …

STUHLMILLER … “So, you can only move so many products and everybody only has so many cans of this or whatever on the shelf at any given point in time. So, that’s why the system works for us. We’ve got a good network of food supply. We just have to be a little bit patient.”

So, Stuhlmiller says everybody’s making adjustments …

STUHLMILLER … “Producers are working through it. It’s challenging for them, just like everybody else. It’s hard at the grocery store and it’s hard to shift gears a bit to keep everybody at the right distance to try to avoid passing the virus.”

As for social distancing, Stuhlmiller says it’s in our DNA …

STUHLMILLER … “Exactly! In rural America, we’ve practiced social distancing since the beginning of time, right? So, it’s something we’re used to.”

Listen tomorrow for more on Agriculture’s new reality in the world of coronavirus.

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