The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has started to distribute $270 million in pandemic assistance applied for by contract producers of authorized livestock and poultry.
The USDA is trying to remedy holes in assistance included in the initial proposal to assist contract growers, a USDA press release said. The department changed the program in August to help address these issues.
“We listened to feedback from producers and stakeholders about impacts across livestock and poultry operations and made updates to be more equitable in the assistance we delivered,” Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said in the release. “For contract producers this meant expanding eligibility and providing flexibility such as considering 2018 or 2019 revenue when calculating payments and accounting for contract producers who increased the size of their operation in 2020 or were new to farming when the pandemic hit. Filling these gaps and not letting underserved producers slip through the cracks is a common theme throughout our approach under our Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.”
Funds will be given through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2), which has already delivered over $18.8 billion to producers impacted by the pandemic, according to the release.
“As USDA looks for long-term solutions to build back a better food system, the Department is committed to delivery of financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers and businesses who have been impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions,” the USDA said. “In addition to the funding USDA is issuing today, the Department has provided a broad range of support to America’s farmers and ranchers as part of its Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.”
The Consolidated Appropriations Act provides funding to assist contract producers who suffered revenue losses from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020, the release said. The application period ended on Oct. 12, 2021.
Over $500 million has been distributed by other USDA agencies to alleviate the effects of the pandemic, the USDA said.
