Baldwin Pushes USDA to Provide Immediate Assistance for Wisconsin Farmers Impacted by Pure Prairie Poultry Closure

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide immediate assistance for Wisconsin farmers impacted by the sudden closure of Pure Prairie Poultry, which has left poultry farmers in Wisconsin staring down crippling financial losses without feed and a processor for their birds.

“Hard-working Wisconsin farmers across our state have been left high and dry by the abrupt closure of Pure Prairie Poultry,” said Senator Baldwin. “Our agriculture industry is the beating heart of many of our communities and, in the face of this dire situation, I’m calling on USDA to do everything they can for these Wisconsin farmers who now stare down financial ruin through no fault of their own.”

In September, Pure Prairie Poultry, an Iowa-based Poultry processor, abruptly closed its plant, leaving farmers across Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota without access to feed for their chickens or capacity to process the birds. In her letter today, Senator Baldwin continues her to call on USDA to intervene and assist farmers who now face extreme financial hardship, especially given USDA’s substantial investment of over $47 million in Pure Prairie Poultry prior to their closure. 

Senator Baldwin also raised concerns for the animals' well-being and the potential for this closure to exacerbate the avian flu outbreak as farmers are resorting to giving away chickens by the tens of thousands.

Today, Senator Baldwin called on USDA to immediately address this emergency for Wisconsin farmers by:

1. Engaging with the Wisconsin State Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to locate all impacted producers;
2. Providing feed and/or financial assistance to all impacted farmers to make them whole again;
3. Providing recommendations for legislative or regulatory solutions to ensure a preventable emergency like this never happens again.

A full version of this letter is available here and below.

Dear Secretary Vilsack,

I write to you to request immediate assistance for Wisconsin farmers and producers impacted by the bankruptcy of Pure Prairie Poultry.

In September, Pure Prairie Poultry filed for bankruptcy and has since abruptly closed, leaving farmers without access to feed for their chickens or capacity to process the birds. As the lead federal agency with a significant financial interest in the company, including over $47 million in investments by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I urge to use your resources and authority to mitigate this hardship for impacted farms in Wisconsin.

This situation remains urgent due to the hundreds of thousands of animals’ lives at risk and the financial hit for the farmers that contracted with this processor. I believe there is a strong case for the agency to intervene based on the animal welfare concerns. There is also an ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza that poses a serious risk of spreading as farmers have no better option than to give away chickens by the tens of thousands. The hardship for producers and potential threat of this disease underscores the need for timely support for Wisconsin farmers.

Therefore, I request that the agency take the following steps to mitigate the ongoing animal welfare and farmgate emergency in Wisconsin:

1. Engage with the Wisconsin State Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection to locate all impacted producers;
2. Provide feed and/or financial assistance to all impacted farmers to make them whole again;
3. Provide recommendations for legislative or regulatory solutions to ensure a preventable emergency like this never happens again.

Thank you for your time an attention to this matter. I hope we can work together to provide a solution to Wisconsin farmers who need it.

Sincerely,

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