The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced more than $3 billion to fund the Emergency Relief Program (ERP), helping commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disasters in 2022. This funding comes after the Almond Alliance encouraged USDA to expedite funding.
“Today’s announcement by the USDA represents a vital lifeline for our community of producers,” said Aubrey Bettencourt, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Almond Alliance. “The allocation of over $3 billion to the Emergency Relief Program is not just an investment in the agriculture sector; it’s an investment in the resilience of our nation’s food supply chain and the countless lives it sustains. We appreciate the USDA answering our call for expedited funding and increased transparency, and we remain committed to ensuring that this aid serves as an effective, timely bridge from crisis to recovery for all eligible crop producers.”
Earlier this month, the Almond Alliance submitted a letter to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, urging more transparency and voicing concerns for lagged support in distributing 2022 ERP funding for almond farmers.
Eligible impacted producers can apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) 2022. The program will help offset the financial impacts of crop yield and value losses from qualifying disasters in 2022.
For more information:
Almond Alliance
almondalliance.org
