COVID Relief
The Iowa Department of Agriculture says it euthanized roughly 1.3 million chickens after Pure Prairie Poultry said in late September it could no longer afford to buy feed for the company’s flock across 14 Iowa farms.
The Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 has dispersed $2.015 million, eclipsing the $2 million threshold. However, these disbursements are much lower than what USDA had projected for this program.
“We don’t need to rewrite the entire farm bill,” Rep. Thompson (R-Pa.) says. “We’re comfortable with many parts of the 2018 bill and there aren’t many tweaks, instead things we need to protect and invest in.”
This round is for those who were delinquent on a direct loan as of Sept. 2020, restricted a loan after Feb. 2020 through FSA, or those who owe more interest on a direct loan than the level of the principal.
A Senate Ag Committee hearing Thursday on the new farm bill raised a issue that is now evident: the Title 1 farm bill safety net can no longer deal with the current ag environment.
The additional payments will be equal to 15% of the producer’s previous CFAP 2 payments.
Farm Bureau hosted Secretary Vilsack at its annual convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he announced the details of ERP Phase 2 and PARP, U.S.-made fertilizer and new meat and poultry processing facility plans.
ERP Phase Two is likely to be announced by USDA in coming weeks, according to Jim Wiesemeyer. In a farm bill year, he says there might be more opportunities to capture additional profit.
The House on Friday averted a government shutdown by voting 225 to 201 in favor of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023—the omnibus spending bill. Here’s what’s in it for ag.
Text of the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package was released early Tuesday morning. The Senate will vote first and intends to pass the measure before Thursday, leaving the House no time to demand changes.
Phase 2 is targeted to those who suffered losses in 2020 and 2021 but may not have received any payments under Phase 1. With Phase 2 underway, USDA said that the signup deadline for Phase 1 ERP will now be Dec. 16.
USDA says the organizations were selected for their proven track records working with farmworkers, meatpacking workers, and grocery workers. The funds amount to $600 per person and will be dispersed in the fall.
Lawmakers had all year to work out a budget/funding level for fiscal year (FY) 2023, which starts Oct. 1. Of course, they didn’t make it and now, again, there’s a need for a stopgap spending bill.
Transforming the U.S. food system by improving supply chains and addressing issues exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic was detailed by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack during a speech at Georgetown University.
The House and Senate are on recess this week, but work is ramping back up to finalize 2021 legislation before the New Year begins.
AgriTalk Host Chip Flory and Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer discuss plans Congress will probably have these last weeks of 2021, including the debt ceiling and the Build Back Better plan in the Senate.
The future of USDA’s CFAP is unclear with biofuels groups and pork producers are questioning when and if they’ll get paid. As USDA continues to divvy out relief funds for agriculture, reports show funds are running low.
USDA announced updates to CFAP 2, with the biggest revisions occurring for contract producers of livestock and specialty crops. The deadline is now October 12 to sign up or make modifications to existing applications.
More than $1 billion in payments will be released over the next several weeks for producers with approved applications for the QLA Program and for producers who have already received payments through WHIP+.
USDA is continuing its rollout of aid to segments of the agriculture industry impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller has filed a personal lawsuit against the federal government claiming COVID relief plan discriminates against some white farmers and ranchers.