The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Feb. 14 it would provide approximately $50 million in grants to help the seafood industry respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds are part of the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant Program and its funds come from pandemic assistance as outlined in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, according to the Feb. 14 USDA news release.
“USDA is working with agricultural and food businesses to ensure that, following the pandemic disruptions, they have the resources and tools to continue building more and better markets, and to thrive in 2022 and beyond,” USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Jenny Lester Moffitt said. “This funding for seafood processors and processing vessels will serve as a bridge, providing relief to an industry that was greatly affected by the pandemic as well as the resulting changes in consumer demand.”
The grant aims to alleviate seafood processing facilities and vessels from the costs associated with responding to the pandemic, according to the release. The recipients of the grant include agricultural agencies in 24 states and the American Samoa, a U.S. territory.
“This program is part of our larger pandemic assistance program, providing support to producers, distributors, processors and other small agricultural businesses to get our food system back on track,” Moffitt said.
After the USDA allocates the funds, state agencies will then be able to give the money to seafood processors and vessels that apply to the program, the release stated. The USDA has also encouraged agencies to prioritize applications of smaller vessels and processors, socially disadvantaged processors, veteran processors and underserved communities.
