Cattle producers are slated to receive $5.1 billion of the $9.6 billion in USDA direct payments for the livestock industry. However, U.S. Cattlemen’s Association Senior Policy Analyst Jess Peterson says the industry is waiting on specific details. “The Department of Agriculture is in the rulemaking process right now. which outlines the payment mechanisms and classification for the payments. Producers are eligible for payments, which is a good thing, but right now the U.S. Cattlemen’s Association thinks it falls short.” Further down the pipeline, the association hopes there will be additional assistance for U.S. cattle producers. Peterson says the coronavirus and its impacts are something of epic proportion; the cattle industry needs a true safety net for producers. “There are payment limitations of $125,000 per commodity, with an overall limit of $250,000 per entity,” Peterson explains. “For the folks who don’t make their living in cattle production, that seems like a lot of money but it is not. Those price limits need to be much, much higher. We wanted a cap at around 10,000 head, which would bump it up to around $3 million.” Peterson has more in this full RRFN interview.