WASHINGTON, DC - Announcing its latest effort to support the supply chain, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the availability of over $330 million to help agricultural producers and organizations recover from the financial impact of the pandemic.

“We launched USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers to respond in a broader, fairer way to the pandemic’s impact across food and agriculture, and we are following through on our promise,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in wide-ranging impacts that were felt throughout the agricultural sector. The Biden-Harris Administration is focused on ensuring that the entire agricultural sector successfully rebuilds following the pandemic, and the funding we’re announcing today will reach a broader set of producers and businesses than previous COVID-19 aid programs.”

The funding is one component of the USDA’s Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative, which launched in March. This investment will aid in the development of new markets for U.S. agricultural products and the expansion of the specialty crop sector, as well as incentivize low-income consumers to purchase more fruits and vegetables, according to a press release.

USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced a $169.9 million fund for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP), which will go toward innovative projects set to explore new market opportunities for U.S. food and agricultural products.

In addition, the USDA announced that its National Institute of Food and Agriculture will also invest $75 million, as directed by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. This funding will allow active Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) and Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grantees to meet the food and nutrition security needs of low-income communities.

To read more about the investment, click here.

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U.S. Department of Agriculture