Two USDA programs will dispense aid based on a farmer’s revenue losses from natural disasters or the pandemic, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. “These new programs apply a holistic approach to emergency assistance — an approach not focused on any one disaster event or commodity but rather one focused on filling gaps in assistance for agricultural producers who have, over the past few years, suffered losses from natural disasters and the pandemic.”
The money will flow through the second round of payments under the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) and the new Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP). The USDA disbursed $7.1 billion in the first round of ERP. Congress appropriated $10 billion to aid farmers and ranchers hits by natural disasters in 2020 and 2021. Phase Two payments will be available to producers with a loss in gross revenue due to expenses related to losses of eligible crops. Details will be announced later, said the USDA.
PARP will be aimed at producers who experienced revenue decreases in 2020 due to the pandemic compared to revenue in 2018 or 2019. The new program “will help address gaps in previous pandemic assistance, which was targeted at price loss or lack of market access, rather than overall revenue,” said the USDA. “Exact details on the calculations and eligibility will be available when the forthcoming rule is published.”