United States President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that next week, as jobless rate increases and people are pushed into food lines, the US will start buying $3 billion worth of dairy, meat and produce from farmers.

Beginning early next week the US will purchase $3 billion worth of milk, meat and produce for food lines and kitchens from American farmers, ranchers and specialty crop growers, Trump disclosed on Twitter.

It was not clear if the president's comment was referring to a $19 billion assistance program announced by the US Agriculture Department in April. The department stated it would purchase $3 billion worth of agricultural products as part of the government's aid.

As the pandemic disrupts supply chains around the world, farmers have been forced to kill their crops, dump milk and throw out non-storable products. Throughout the national lockout, prices and demand for agricultural goods plunged and farmers were faced with an over-supply of food they couldn't sell.

On Friday, the Agriculture Department approved $1.2 billion in Farmers to Family Food Box contracts, which aim to move surplus food out of the market and into food banks.

The assistance surpasses the $100 million a month originally set aside by the USDA for the program due to high interest. The program will buy $461 million in vegetables and fresh fruits, $317 million in dairy, $258 million in meat and $175 million in a hybrid package of fresh produce, milk or meat."

Many Americans are preparing for a food shortage. According to experts, the pandemic will make the ride to the grocery store very costly. According to CBS News, meat prices could spike up to 20 percent.

Some poultry producers that deal with lack of staff as a result of the ongoing global health emergency were forced to euthanize chickens. Shutdowns of plants across the US may cause the loss of millions of animals including pigs and cattle.

In April, the JBS meat-packaging plant in Greeley, Colorado briefly shut down due to an outbreak of COVID-19. State data reveals it's Colorado's biggest outbreak with more than 280 confirmed cases. Seven workers were reported to have died.

The production facility is now back open, as is the case for several others facing closures. COVID-19 ravaged the labor force. Trump signed an executive order to keep them running. The US economy has lost a whopping 21 million jobs in April and the jobless figure climbed to 15 percent, based on government data, Friday.