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Source: USDA, 11/18/21
The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has begun issuing approximately
$270 million in payments to contract producers of eligible livestock and
poultry who applied for Pandemic Assistance. Earlier this year,
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) identified gaps in assistance including in the
initial proposal to assist contract growers. In August, USDA released the improved program for contract producers to fill these gaps, providing support as part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. “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,” said FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “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.” The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, provided
funding for payments to contract producers of eligible livestock and
poultry for revenue losses from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020. Contract
producers of broilers, pullets, chicken eggs, turkeys, hogs and pigs, ducks,
geese, pheasants and quail were eligible for assistance, along
with eligible breeding stock and eggs of all eligible poultry types produced
under contract. Signup ran from Aug. 24, 2021, through Oct. 12,
2021. In total, the Coronavirus Food Assistance
Program 2 (CFAP 2), of which assistance for contract producers is
part, provided more than $18.8 billion to
producers whose operations were impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. CFAP 2 had a fourfold increase in participation by historically underserved producers since the program reopened in April 2021. This highlights USDA’s commitment to increase outreach, education and technical assistance to historically underserved farmers and ranchers, including by investing $4.7 million to assist
in targeted outreach for FSA programs. 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. 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, including:
- More than $18.8
billion in Coronavirus Food
Assistance Program 2 payments, including a fourfold
increase in participation by historically underserved producers since the
program reopened in April 2021.
- Over $42 million
in assistance for those who had to depopulate livestock and poultry due to
insufficient processing access (Pandemic Livestock
Indemnity Program).
- Over $9 million
to date for the logging and log hauling industry (Pandemic
Assistance for Timber Harvesters and Haulers). Final payments
are being calculated to be disbursed soon.
- $1 billion to purchase healthy
food for food insecure Americans and build food bank capacity.
- $350 million in additional dairy
assistance related to market volatility.
- $500 million
deployed through existing USDA programs.
A full list of Pandemic Assistance is available at www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance. USDA
expects further Pandemic Assistance to continue to fill remaining gaps later
this year.
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