North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring says the primary focus for the ND Department of Agriculture is to keep the industry moving forward. There are many moving pieces right now. “Whether we’re working on H2-A labors issues or working with the meat industry, we’ve developed some guidance for these issues.” Even though the coronavirus pandemic may be shutting down certain industries or businesses, farmers are still planting this year’s crop. The 2019 spring planting window was tight, with much of the U.S. getting into fields at the same time. Goehring says this spring is different and remains optimistic. “There are Hours of Service and Electronic Logging Device waivers that have already been granted on a federal level. This is giving us the ability to operate like we need to operate, so I’m not as concerned as I have been in the past. Planting is slowly progressing across the U.S. from south to north.” Hear more in this RRFN story with Goehring. A full list of resources to help farmers and ranchers navigate COVID-19 are available here.
