According to the website of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent representative of the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture plans on distributing $290 million to dairy farmers who have come on hard times in the nation, which includes producers in Vermont. On average, a typical dairy farmer in the state will be eligible for about $8,000.
Along with Sanders, the move to get the farmers money was supported by two Democratic legislators from the state - Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch. Dairy farmers in the state can expect to get payments in the coming weeks, and Sanders said it "could not have come at a better time," adding that farmers are facing a "deep crisis."
"While the emergency relief is desperately needed, we also must stay focused developing long-term policies which will provide fair and stable prices for dairy farmers," Sanders said.
Recently, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, who is a Democrat from Colorado, has made a push for similar relief efforts for potato farmers in his home state. There, low prices and high yields are making it difficult for spud growers in the state.
