June 21

The National Pork Producers Council says it appears "a significant number of (hog) producers" will qualify for the $125 million in direct assistance that Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman says will be released.

"While all the details of the program are not known, it appears that a significant number of producers will qualify for assistance," said NPPC President John McNutt. "With losses of $3.6 billion during the past 18 months, pork producers of all sizes remain in desperate financial straits...we intend to continue working with Congress and this administration on a more comprehensive assistance package which will benefit all pork producers."

Glickman said producers who marketed up to 2,500 hogs in the last six months of 1998 would be eligible for the assistance with payments limited to $5,000. The payment rate and schedule for fund disbursement have not been announced.