Spring planting preparation for retailers could get more complicated this year. According to Agricultural Retailers Association President and CEO Daren Coppock, restrictions related to the coronavirus are making an impact. “We’ve been working on lots of transportation-related issues, people that need their commercial driver’s license renewed or need a medical test done. The facilities that offer those services aren’t open,” he says. “We’ve been trying to get extensions out of the U.S. Department of Transportation on issues like that, trying to get them to understand that any shut downs or shelter in place type of requirements don’t apply to people in agriculture.” The association is asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to expand the Hours of Service waiver to include all of agriculture as well. Coppock says most farmers shouldn’t have a problem securing inputs, but there could be challenges getting fertilizer. “If growers don’t have fertilizer ordered enough ahead of time, it could be hard to get. If you know you’ll need that stuff, get on the phone with a retailer and get it ordered.”
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.