USDA to distribute $35M in grants to support COVID-19 relief efforts
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is making an additional $35 million available this year through the Value-Added Producer Grant Program to support agricultural producers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This funding comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and there are $76 million available in total.
The USDA is extending the application deadline to May 4, 2021 from the original cutoff date of March 22, 2021, said Luis R. García, acting state Director for Puerto Rico.
In October 2020, Puerto Rico received $2.4 million for 11 rural business and agricultural producers, he said.
The agency’s call reduces the matching requirement for applicants seeking the $35 million in COVID-19 relief funding.
Value-Added Producer Grants may be used to develop new products from raw agricultural products or to promote new markets for established products. Veterans, socially disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority.
