News
USDA releases more pandemic aid
The USDA is releasing $3-4 Billion dollars for ag producers and businesses as part of the $6 billion Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative created in March.
“The biofuel industry, the dairy industry, contract growers, organic producers, small meat processing capacity/facilities (and more).”
Ag Secretary Vilsack told the Senate Appropriations Committee this morning that the dairy help includes a program to defray the costs of donated milk, supplemental margin coverage payments for small to mid-sized producers, and financial help to reduce the differential between class one and class three milk pricing.
“Because of a disproportionate number of purchases of cheese during the food box effort. That distorted the market and it caused a lot of harm to smaller producers. We’re putting resources in to reimburse those producers for some of the loss that they incurred.”
A total of $11 billion has been allocated since January using available pandemic assistance funds and Vilsack says more funding will also be announced next month in the pandemic program along with the Build Back Better program.
