Saturday, April 18, 2020

19 Billion USDA Program for Pandemic Aid

Here's the press release on the USDA  program(s) announced yesterday:  Highlights:

  • "$16 billion in direct support based on actual losses for agricultural producers where prices and market supply chains have been impacted and will assist producers with additional adjustment and marketing costs resulting from lost demand and short-term oversupply for the 2020 marketing year caused by COVID-19."
  • $3 billion in direct purchases of meat, milk and produce to be donated to NGO's.
  • Using available Section 32 funds ($870+ million) also for direct purchases.
  • Administrative support (likely for USDA agencies plus those involved in the distribution)
The first bullet is going to be tough to administer--if you dumped milk there's no evidence now, so it will likely rely on producer certifications for much of the evidence.  Of course all farmers are honest, except for a few bad apples. 

It's the "Coronavirus Food Assistance Program" or CFAP.

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