AAI Member,
The actions being taken by state and federal officials concerning COVID-19 are causing disruption to business operations for many, including those in the agribusiness industry. As restrictions and regulations are put in place to mitigate the effects and spread of COVID-19, AAI is working with state and federal government to make sure all segments of agriculture are deemed to be essential. It is important that the US food production system in the United States remains as uninterrupted as possible.
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa staff has been on numerous teleconferences over the past few days to help facilitate this message. In addition to working with the American Feed Industry Association, The Fertilize Institute, and the Agricultural Retailers Association, there have also been multiple teleconferences with Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig and other Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship officials.
We will provide you with a more detailed overview of activities and information in the Take Five this evening 3/19/2020.
The Top Priority
The COVID-19 virus is a serious concern for everyone in Iowa, including both rural and urban areas. Please take the necessary precautions to limit contact where possible and follow CDC guidelines for keeping employees and customers safe. Even as we work to keep agribusiness functioning, we do this knowing that the top priority is the health and safety of the people in our businesses and in our families. We encourage you to keep up to date with the latest recommendations from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Our staff has also had several individual contacts with our membership, identifying current or potential challenges as we make these adjustments. But we want to learn more if you have issues that need attention. If you have any specific concerns about how the COVID-19 response is affecting your business, that we are not already addressing, please contact anyone on our AAI staff to share those ideas and concerns. I will continue to serve as the point person for relating concerns to Secretary Naig, IDALS, and Governor Reynolds.
Sincerely,
Joel Brinkmeyer
AAI CEO | jbrinkmeyer@agribiz.org
