Tom Vilsack was sworn in as USDA Secretary for the second time at the end of February. Since then, he has pushed forward advances on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), climate and mitigation policies and equity in USDA programs. He’s also provided glimpses of ag priorities in an infrastructure package.
1. CFAP
Checks for $20-per-acre payments for price-trigger crops will go out in April. The payments are part of the third round of CFAP.
Vilsack’s USDA is renaming a portion of the CFAP program to Pandemic Assistance for Producers. The newly named program will use $6 billion in unspent CFAP and other funds to fill gaps for sectors of agriculture that were left out of earlier CFAP programs.
Biofuels, Vilsack has mentioned repeatedly, is a sector that needs additional assistance. Other items included in the new program include the Dairy Donation Program, funds for euthanization of livestock, specialty crops, timber harvesting and hauling and personal protective equipment for food and farm workers.
USDA reopened the application window for CFAP 2 on April 5.
2. Equity
CFAP missed the mark in providing support to all farmers, says Vilsack, who noted 99% of funds went to white farmers while 0.1% went to Black farmers.
“If we had better outreach, those percentages would be different,” Vilsack says. “I don’t know how much different, but I’m sure Black farmers would get more than one-tenth of 1%.”
USDA is setting aside $2.5 million to promote CFAP applications to minority and socially disadvantaged farmers.
3. Infrastructure
The next big push for Congress is an infrastructure package. House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, D-Ga., says broadband access will be at the very top of his list.
“We must develop rural broadband as a centerpiece for rural development because if you don’t have rural broadband there, you’re not going to have the rural development we need,” Scott says.
4. Carbon Market Vs. Carbon Bank
USDA is considering the creation of a carbon market for ag, according to Robert Bonnie, the agency’s senior adviser on climate.
“If you were to think about some type of a compliance market, I think ultimately Congress has to do that,” Bonnie says.
What’s unclear is if it will be a carbon market or a “carbon bank,” which is a term Vilsack has used in carbon discussions. He says a carbon bank would feature a different design, implementation and pricing system versus current private carbon markets.
Pro Farmer Policy Analyst Jim Wiesemeyer predicts USDA will announce its climate change mitigation plans at an Earth Day event.
