U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Purdue recently announced that $545 million in aid has been approved for farmers who have been affected by COVID-19.
According to payment data released by the department on June 8, more than 7,000 applications of financial aid for Oklahoma farmers are included in those aid payments.
More than $58 million of aid is going to livestock producers, nearly $2 million is going to growers of non-specialty crops like corn and wheat and more than $900,000 is going to dairy producers.
The aid is part of the $16 billion allocated to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist those who have been affected financially by COVID-19, through the CARES Act.
Oklahoma congressman Frank Lucas has previously expressed concern about the money not being enough in https://youtu.be/jbiagBCExX0" target="_blank">an Oklahoma Farm Bureau webinar.
Farmers and ranchers are eligible to apply for aid if their commodity prices have dropped more than five percent.
