Member Notice: COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Extended to April 30, 2020

MEMBER NOTICE

COVID-19 Update

Friday

April 3, 2020

Pesticide Applicators

Governor Reynolds extended the end date of the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration yesterday to April 30, 2020. As part of that decision, additional declaration language was added regarding commercial pesticide applicators who are not currently certified.

The declaration provides an opportunity for companies to hire new applicators during the Emergency Declaration period using the private applicator exam. See the full press release from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for details:

IDALS Press Release

https://iowaagriculture.gov/news/options-help-pesticide

The association has been working diligently with Governor Reynolds and Secretary Naig on the commercial pesticide applicator certification issue. We would like to thank the Governor and Secretary for their leadership in providing a solution in these difficult circumstances, and continuing to recognize it is in the vital interest of the state and the country that the food production system in the United States remains as uninterrupted as possible.

Essential Employee Letter

Many agribusinesses are concerned about employees being stopped by law enforcement as they perform their job duties or travel to and from work. To help mitigate these sorts of incidents, some of our members have provided employees with a letter stating they are Essential Employees carrying out duties of an industry designated as critical infrastructure.

If you would like to provide your employees with a similar letter, a template is provided at the link below. It should be placed on company letterhead and signed by your company CEO or relevant company officer.

Essential Employee Template Letter

https://www.agribiz.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/AAI_essential_worker_template_final.docx

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.

If you have any specific concerns about how the COVID-19 response is affecting your business, please contact the AAI staff .

Sincerely,

Joel Brinkmeyer | CEO

Agribusiness Association of Iowa