WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday, his administration is launching a $19 billion program to help farmers struggling from the coronavirus pandemic. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue says the program includes $16 billion in direct payments to farmers, ranchers, and producers who experienced “unprecedented losses” during the pandemic.

Perdue says the Department of Agriculture will spend another $3 billion to purchase fresh produce, dairy, and meat products that will be distributed through food bank networks.

He said also, the USDA will use six-and-a-half billion in existing Commodity Credit Corporation funds along with nineteen-point-five billion of COVID money rather than wait for the replenishment of CCC funds in July.