USDA announced Wednesday plans to spend at least $6 billion on new pandemic aid programs that reach a broader swath of producers than previous efforts, while putting “a greater emphasis on outreach to small and socially disadvantaged producers, specialty crop and organic producers (and) timber harvesters.”
The $6 billion package is part of $12.1 billion in funding USDA announced Wednesday, including congressionally mandated modifications to spending for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and new money for a variety of USDA programs.
“The pandemic affected all of agriculture, but many farmers did not benefit from previous rounds of pandemic-related assistance,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Our new USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers will help get financial assistance to a broader set of producers, including to socially disadvantaged communities, small and medium sized producers, and farmers and producers of less traditional crops.”
The $23.6 billion worth of payments in 2020 under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program were given primarily to larger farms.
The $6 billion package is part of $12.1 billion in funding USDA announced Wednesday, including congressionally mandated modifications to spending for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program and new money for a variety of USDA programs.
“The pandemic affected all of agriculture, but many farmers did not benefit from previous rounds of pandemic-related assistance,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Our new USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers will help get financial assistance to a broader set of producers, including to socially disadvantaged communities, small and medium sized producers, and farmers and producers of less traditional crops.”
The $23.6 billion worth of payments in 2020 under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program were given primarily to larger farms.