President Donald Trump directed his agriculture secretary to expedite federal aid to farmers who have been hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
The president said on Twitter Thursday that he expects Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue "to use all of the funds and authorities at his disposal to make sure that our food supply is stable, strong, and safe."
President Trump didn't give specifics about the directive. But the historic $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package passed by Congress last month set aside up to $23.5 billion for farm relief.
The American Farm Bureau Federation urged Perdue earlier this month to get that assistance to farmers "immediately." It noted certain sectors, including dairy farmers, livestock groups and the produce industry, have been hard-hit by the pandemic.
Perdue told reporters Wednesday that the USDA's goal is to get the money distributed "sooner rather than later."
Contains footage from CNN.
