USDA-FAS International Agricultural Trade Report — As countries roll back COVID-19 restrictions, foreign market demand for beef is becoming a bright spot for U.S. producers. With record U.S. beef production forecast this year, U.S. beef exports are forecast to strengthen their position in the global marketplace. Meanwhile, lower production in Australia and tighter exportable supplies from Argentina are expected to limit the global availability of beef. For 2021, U.S. beef exports are forecast to reach a record 1.5 million metric tons (mt) carcass weight equivalent (cwe), up 16 percent compared to last year and 8 percent above the 2018 high. 
Since 2016, South Korea has been a top destination for U.S. beef. Exports were up 26 percent on a volume basis and 30 percent on a value basis from January to May 2021 compared to the same period a year ago. This market accounts for 25 percent on both a volume and value basis of the U.S. overseas beef market in the first 5 months of the year. As demand remains strong, South Korea is very likely to continue as a top U.S. destination in 2021, particularly as the won strengthens relative to the U.S. Dollar and the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement lowers duties on muscle cuts from 13 percent in 2021 to zero by 2026.
China overtook the United States as the largest beef importer by volume in the world in 2018 with imports totaling 1.4 million mt cwe ($4.8 billion) that year and 2.8 million mt cwe ($10.2 billion) in 2020. As demand remains firm, China is on pace to set another record in 2021 with imports in the first 5 months of 2021 at 1.3 million mt cwe ($4.6 billion). The potential for growth in U.S. beef exports is strong in future years as China import demand is expected to grow more than 30 percent during the next decade.
From January to May 2021, U.S. beef to China surged 13-fold in both exports and sales from the same period last year. U.S. beef has benefited from the Economic and Trade Agreement between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (also known as the Phase One Agreement), which expanded market access for U.S. beef by eliminating several long-standing non-tariff barriers. Through May 2021, China ranks as the third-largest U.S. market by both volume and value, surpassing both Mexico and Canada which have historically been ranked as top U.S. markets consistently.
However, despite robust growth, U.S. beef accounts for a small share of China imports. In 2019, the year before the Phase One Agreement entered into force, U.S. beef accounted for about 1 percent of China imports on both a volume and value basis. Through May 2021, U.S. beef has risen to a near 4-percent share by volume and 7-percent by value. U.S. exports are well below their full potential due to remaining market access barriers, such as a ban on the feed additive ractopamine.
Reduced competition from Australia, the top U.S. competitor, is also a driver for strong U.S. exports. Australia beef production is forecast lower in 2021 due to herd rebuilding in the aftermath of a multi-year drought. China’s imports of Australian beef, which include a grain-fed volume that is in direct competition with U.S. beef, fell just more than 50 percent through May 2021. During the same period, the United States has increased its market share in the country.
Reduced exports from Argentina may also boost U.S. global market share, particularly in China. In mid-May, the Government of Argentina announced a restriction on beef exports for 30 days to ease rising domestic prices by bolstering domestic supplies. As of June 22, the Government amended the restriction to only include specific muscle cuts and carcass segments until December 31, 2021. Further, beef exporters will be limited to exporting 50 percent of their average 2020 monthly export volume through at least August 31, 2021. As Argentina is the fourth-largest exporter in the world and second-largest exporter to China, the restriction is expected to buoy global shipments from other suppliers.
Despite strong demand in South Korea, explosive growth in China, and reduced supplies from competitors, projections for 2022 are not as bright. U.S. production is forecast down 2 percent, the first drop in at least 7 years, and exports are slightly lower. But as overseas markets continue to recover from the pandemic, pent-up demand just may support exports in a number of markets.
Dairy industry representatives offered their support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new $400 million Dairy Donation Program (DDP). The Department released an interim final rule all but finalizing the DDP and making its $400 million funding available to eligible handlers and cooperatives. The program will ensure U.S. dairy companies are fairly compensated for donating nutritious dairy products to Americans struggling with hunger and food insecurity.
Michael Dykes, president & CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) shared, “IDFA applauds USDA for finalizing the Dairy Donation Program, making it possible for U.S. dairy companies to donate fresh, nutritious dairy products to nonprofit organizations reaching Americans struggling with hunger and food insecurity. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. dairy producers and dairy foods companies have led efforts to feed the hungry and support struggling communities. With the Dairy Donation Program announced today, USDA is providing our industry with one more tool to reach Americans in need. The dairy industry welcomes the opportunity to continue to partner with non-profits, charities, and other organizations working to combat hunger and nutrition insecurity. The Dairy Donation Program ensures high-quality, nutritious products like milk, cheese, yogurt and more will get to those who need them most, while ensuring dairy foods producers receive a fair market value for their healthy products. IDFA and our members look forward to working with USDA and the non-profit community to get this program off the ground this fall.”
Congress established the DDP in December 2020 and USDA has been working for the past several months to design the new program. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. dairy producers and dairy foods companies have been proactive about responding to hunger and supporting families in need through local food drives and charitable donations as well as federal nutrition assistance programs.
“We thank USDA leadership for their work to bring the Dairy Donation Program to fruition. This important program will help dairy farmers and the cooperatives they own to do what they do best: feed families nationwide,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “Dairy stakeholders are eager to enhance their partnerships with food banks and other distributors to provide dairy products to those experiencing food insecurity, which the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated.”
NMPF championed the proposal throughout the legislative process and worked closely with Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who led the effort to include this new program in COVID-19-related legislation enacted last year. The new Dairy Donation Program expands the original Milk Donation Reimbursement Program and has one-time funding of $400 million to reimburse farmers, cooperatives, and other dairy organizations for the full cost of raw milk needed to make finished dairy products for consumers.
NMPF worked closely with USDA to ensure that the program addresses additional costs, such as processing and transportation, as well as other elements that make the program more viable. The provision covering the cost of processing is a significant enhancement from the previous program. NMPF also worked closely with Feeding America to support the program and recommend approaches to ensure its effectiveness.
“We are grateful to USDA for helping ensure wholesome dairy products can be provided to food banks and other food distributors by reimbursing for some of these costs,” said Mulhern. “We have also been pleased to work with Feeding America to advance the partnership approach taken by this program as it will help to target dairy donations in a manner that effectively meets on-the-ground demand.”
“Feeding America applauds today’s announcement implementing the Dairy Donation Program, which has the potential to connect millions of additional pounds of dairy donations through food banks to the people we serve. We look forward to working with USDA and our dairy partners to make this program a success now and in the future,” said Vince Hall, Interim Chief Government Relations Officer at Feeding America.
Mulhern said NMPF appreciates Chairwoman Stabenow’s leadership in securing the program’s enactment last year, as well as the support for dairy donation offered by other key members, including Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson (R-PA).
“We commend Chairwoman Stabenow for her leadership in authoring this program and look forward to working with Congress to secure additional funding for this program in the future to continue to minimize food waste by providing nutritious dairy products to those who need them most,” Mulhern said.
Jackie Klippenstein, Senior Vice President, Government, Industry and Community Relations for Dairy Farmers of America, added, “The Dairy Donation Program is an important step in helping to strengthen the dairy industry’s commitment to fighting hunger in a way that reduces food waste and minimizes disruption to the supply chain. We are pleased USDA is implementing this and other programs to help distribute dairy to those who need it most.”
Karoun Dairies has once again proven why California is the dairy capital of the United States, going up against cheesemakers nationwide at the World Dairy Expo and winning gold – two to be exact! After an 18-month long hiatus, the dairy industry had its first official contest on Thursday, August 19th in Madison, Wisconsin – the World Dairy Expo Championship Dairy Product Contest.
This contest, sponsored by the Wisconsin Dairy Products Association, is the only one of its kind in North America, since no other national contest includes all dairy products. This means that cheese, butter, yogurt, ice cream, cottage cheese, fluid milk, whipping cream, sour cream and whey processors have a unique opportunity to compete in a prestigious, all-dairy national contest. The winning companies are afforded the unprecedented opportunity to promote and market their products as “the best of the best” in North America.
Karoun’s award-winning hand braided string cheese came out on top in the String Cheese category, yet again, snatching first place alongside Karoun’s signature Goat Feta Basket Cheese. Karoun’s Queso del Valle brand also won silver for its Queso Blanco cheese in the Latin American Cheese category.
Rostom Baghdassarian, the CEO at Karoun Dairies said, “It’s great to have another win under our belt for our iconic hand braided string cheese – the cheese that started it all for Karoun! Both the Goat Feta and String Cheese really deliver on taste and texture so we’re thrilled that the judges were able to recognize that and honor us with these awards.”
About Karoun Dairies
Founded in 1992, Karoun is an award-winning manufacturer and distributor of specialty ethnic food and beverage products, including cheeses, yogurts, yogurt drinks, spreads and dips. Through a diverse base of retailers and distribution channels, the Company’s products appeal to a fast-growing multicultural population, as well as to mainstream consumers who are increasingly adopting ethnic cuisines. Winner of over 170 best-in-class awards, Karoun’s high-quality, branded products have a loyal following across the nation. The Company is strategically located in the dairy-rich state of California, with a distribution center in San Fernando and a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Turlock. Karoun cheeses and yogurts are made with Real California Milk from cows free of growth hormones. Specialty brands include Karoun®, Gopi®, Arz®, Queso Del Valle®, Damavand® and Yanni®. For more information, please visit www.karouncheese.com.
In 2017, Karoun Dairies was acquired by Lactalis Group – the largest dairy company in the world, based out of western France – and became a subsidiary of Lactais American Group. Headquartered in Buffalo, NY and with additional facilities in Wisconsin, Idaho and California, Lactalis American Group employs over 1,600 people across its U.S. production sites and corporate offices. The company produces a rich lineup of French cheeses including brie, camembert, and spreads, Italian favorites such as mozzarella, fresh mozzarella, provolone, ricotta, and mascarpone, and distributes a wide variety of other dairy products. The addition of Karoun Dairies has helped the company enter the U.S. ethnic channel with well-known cheese and yogurt brands Karoun®, Blue Isle®, Gopi®, and Yanni®. For more information about Lactalis American Group, please visit www.lactalisamericangroup.com.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has accepted 2.8 million acres in offers from agricultural producers and private landowners for enrollment into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in 2021. This year, almost 1.9 million acres in offers have been accepted through the General CRP Signup, and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has accepted over 897,000 acres for enrollment through the Continuous Signup. The Continuous Signup remains open and CRP Grasslands Signup closed last week, so USDA expects to enroll more acres into all of CRP than the 3 million acres that are expiring.
“Despite Congress raising the enrollment target in the 2018 Farm Bill, there have been decreases in enrollment for the past two years. The changes we made this spring have put us on the path to reverse this trend,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux said. “Even with the improved direction, USDA will still be about 4 million acres below the enrollment target. The CRP benefits for producers, sportsmen, wildlife, conservation and climate are numerous and well documented. We cannot afford to let them to be left on the table.”
The 4 million-acre shortfall in CRP would have had the following impacts:
Like other USDA conservation programs, CRP is a voluntary program that has a variety of options that can be tailored to the specific conservation issues of a state or region and desires of the landowner. The options run the gamut from working lands such as CRP Grasslands to partnerships with states and private entities to target a specific joint concern such as water quality or quantity.
“We are grateful to the leadership and staff at the USDA, who have worked diligently over the last several months to ensure that the Conservation Reserve Program remains a viable and effective conservation tool,” says Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Today’s announcement demonstrates that when the CRP is administered with the needs of landowners in mind, they respond by investing their lands in conservation. This course correction is needed now more than ever, as management decisions in recent years have left program acreage at a 30-year low, with an additional 4 million acres set to expire by October 2022. We look forward to continuing to work with the USDA to improve the trajectory of the CRP and guarantee that the program benefits our natural resources, landowners, and the sporting community for years to come.”
Continuous CRP Signup
Continuous CRP allows USDA to target the most sensitive land like highly erodible land, the most environmentally beneficial land like wetlands and buffers along streams and rivers, or locally identified critical habitat like State Acres For Wildlife. This targeted approach also reduces the whole-farm type enrollment in CRP that was more common when it first began and helps meet the conservation goals while maintaining the majority of the land in production agriculture. FSA has accepted offers from over 37,000 producers to enroll more than 897,000 acres through the Continuous Signup. This is double the enrollment from last year and three times the enrollment from 2018 and 2019. FSA expects this process to be completed by the end of September so contracts may start on October 1, 2021.
The growth in the targeted enrollment through Continuous Signup is due to a recommitment of USDA to incentives and partnerships that brought in nearly 1.4 million acres in 2016 and 2017. These efforts have also included the expansion of the Clean Lakes, Estuaries, and Rives Initiative 30-year (CLEAR30) from two regions to nationwide as well as moving State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) practices from the General to the Continuous signup. This year, offers for 20,000 acres have been submitted for CLEAR30 and 296,000 acres in SAFE practices.
General CRP Signup
FSA opened the General CRP Signup 56 in January 2021 and extended the original deadline to July 23, 2021, to enable producers to consider FSA’s new improvements to the program, which included higher rental payments and more incentivized environmental practices.
Additionally, FSA introduced a new Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This incentive provides a 3%, 5% or 10% incentive payment based on the predominate vegetation type for the practices enrolled – from grasses to trees to wetland restoration.
Through CRP, producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. In addition to the other well-documented benefits, lands enrolled in CRP is playing a key role in mitigating impacts from climate change.
A full list of changes to CRP, including those to the Continuous and General Signups, can be found in our “What’s New with CRP” fact sheet.
More Information
In April, USDA announced several changes to CRP to increase participation while improving climate-related and other environmental benefits. CRP sequesters carbon while preserving topsoil, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, reducing nitrogen runoff, and providing healthy habitat for wildlife.
The 2018 Farm Bill established a nationwide acreage limit for CRP, with the total number of acres that may be enrolled capped at 25 million acres in 2021 and growing to 27 million by 2023.
California agricultural operations have been significantly impacted by the wildfires and ongoing, severe drought. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure and livestock losses and damages.
“Production agriculture is vital to the California economy, and USDA stands ready to assist in the recovery from these wildfires and extreme drought conditions,” said Gloria Montaño Greene as Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC). “I assure you that USDA employees are working diligently to deliver FPAC’s extensive portfolio of disaster assistance programs and services to all impacted agricultural producers.”
USDA Disaster Assistance for Wildfire and Drought Recovery
Producers who experience livestock deaths due to wildfires may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
Meanwhile, for both wildfire and drought recovery, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for feed losses as well as water hauling expenses associated with transportation of water to livestock. For ELAP, producers will need to file a notice of loss within 30 days and honeybee losses within 15 days.
Livestock producers may also be eligible for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for 2021 grazing losses due to drought. LFP benefits may be available for loss of grazing acres due to wildfires on federally managed lands on which a producer is prohibited, by a federal agency, from grazing normally permitted livestock. FSA maintains a list of counties eligible for LFP and makes updates each Thursday.
Additionally, eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for cost-share assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes or vines lost during the drought. This complements Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program application must be filed within 90 days.
“Once you are able to safely evaluate the wildfire or drought impact on your operation, be sure to contact your local FSA office to timely report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses,” said Jacque Johnson, Acting State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in California. “To expedite FSA disaster assistance, you will likely need to provide documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses”
FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses or refinance farm-related debts and other needs.
Risk Management
Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA’s NAP should report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or FSA office. If they have crop insurance, producers should report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of damage discovery and follow up in writing within 15 days. For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.
“Crop insurance and other USDA risk management options are there to help producers manage risk because we never know what nature has in store for the future,” said Jeff Yasui, Director of RMA’s Regional Office that covers California. “The Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained in handling these types of events.”
Conservation
Outside of the primary nesting season, emergency and non-emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres may be authorized to provide relief to livestock producers in areas affected by a severe drought or similar natural disasters. Producers interested in haying or grazing of CRP acres should contact their county FSA office to determine eligibility.
The Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore fencing, damaged farmland or forests.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is always available to provide technical assistance in the recovery process by assisting producers to plan and implement conservation practices on farms, ranches and working forests impacted by natural disasters.
Long-term damage from wildfires and drought includes forage production loss in pastures and fields and increased wind erosion on crop fields not protected with soil health practices. Visit your local USDA Service Center to learn more about these impacts, potential recovery tactics, and how to take steps to make your land more resilient to drought in the future.
“USDA can be a very valuable partner to help landowners with their recovery and resiliency efforts,” said Carlos Suarez, NRCS State Conservationist in California. “Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop approaches that focus on effective recovery of the land.”
Assistance for Communities
Additional NRCS programs include the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which provides assistance to local government sponsors with the cost of addressing watershed impairments or hazards such as damaged upland sites stripped of vegetation by wildfire, debris removal and streambank stabilization.
Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns, or any federally recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. Sponsors must submit a formal request (via mail or email) to the state conservationist for assistance within 60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access to the sites become available. For more information, please contact your local NRCS office.
“EWP provides immediate assistance to communities to mitigate potential hazards to life and property resulting from the fires and particularly the severe erosion and flooding that can occur after the fire,” Suarez said. “We can work with a local sponsor to help a damaged watershed so that lives and property are protected while preventing further devastation in the community.”
In addition to EWP, Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) is another valuable service that NRCS can provide following a wildfire. NRCS technical assistance can help fire victims with planning cost-effective post fire restoration practices.
More Information
On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster Assistance-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and landowners determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For FSA and NRCS programs, they should contact their local USDA Service Center.
With climate change-induced drought conditions reducing water levels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to alarming lows, the State Water Resources Control Board today issued curtailment orders to approximately 4,500 right holders to protect drinking water supplies, prevent salinity intrusion and minimize impacts to fisheries and the environment.
Today’s orders follow the emergency curtailment regulation adopted by the board on August 3 in response to acute water shortages. Altogether, there are 6,600 right holders in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
Without enforcement of unauthorized water diversions in the Delta, the drinking water supply for 25 million Californians and irrigation for over three million acres of farmland could be at significant risk within the next year.
“Curtailing water rights has an impact on livelihoods and economies, but it is painfully necessary as severe drought conditions this year and next could threaten health, safety and the environment,” said Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director of the Division of Water Rights. “We will do everything we can to make compliance both straightforward and fair. We are offering reporting and technical assistance to all right holders and will also be regularly conducting inspections and investigating complaints to ensure that diverters are complying.”
The number of right holders that have been directed to cease all diversions may be adjusted throughout the fall as water supply in the Delta fluctuates and weather conditions change. For instance, the board projects that about 1,500 fewer right holders will need to be curtailed in September due to increased water supply in the Sacramento River watershed from annual rice field drainage.
Curtailments give the State Water Board the tools it needs to prevent diverters from taking water they do not have a right to use when water levels are low. The board is requiring right holders to confirm their compliance with curtailment orders or to indicate if they will seek an exemption for any of the reasons allowed under the regulation, such as supplying water for human health and safety needs. Those diverting more than 5,000 acre-feet per year must provide additional information about their previous diversions and projected use to improve the board’s supply and demand forecasting.
The board is offering compliance assistance to right holders in various ways, including:
A virtual webinar on August 31 to help impacted right holders satisfy reporting requirements and complete the online certification form;
Video tutorials on reporting requirements available the week of August 23;
Regularly updated website information and email updates about water board actions
and changes to curtailment status;
A dedicated phone line and email staffed during business hours to answer questions
from right holders.
Dry conditions in the Delta worsened this spring when climate change-induced warm temperatures led to unprecedented losses of runoff to rivers, streams and reservoirs, and prompted water diverters below the reservoirs to withdraw their water earlier and in greater volumes than in previous critically dry years. This confluence of events resulted in the loss of nearly 800,000 acre-feet of water, enough to supply more than one million households for a year and nearly the entire capacity of Folsom Reservoir.
Governor Gavin Newsom on July 8 expanded a drought state of emergency that now covers 50 of California’s 58 counties and called on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 15%.
More information on drought, curtailments, water use methodology tools and related topics, can be found at the board’s Drought Information and Updates webpage.
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and efficient use for current and future generations.
Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021.
“USDA is here to help all producers, including those who grow our nation’s organic food and fiber. Many farmers have told us that cost was a barrier to their ability to get an organic certification,” said Zach Ducheneaux, administrator of USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). “By assisting with the costs, this program can help organic farmers get their certification along with the benefits that come with it.”
OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent during the 2021 and any subsequent program year. Producers can be reimbursed for expenses made between Oct. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021 including application fees, inspection costs, fees related to equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, travel expenses for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.
For 2021, OCCSP will reimburse 50% of a certified operation’s allowable certification costs, up to a maximum of $500 for each of the following categories (or “scopes”):
Organic farmers and ranchers may apply through an FSA county office or a participating state agency.
This funding will be complemented by an additional $20 million for organic and transitioning producers through the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. More information on that funding will be available in the coming weeks.
More Information
To learn more about organic certification cost share, please visit the OCCSP webpage, visit usda.gov/organic, or contact your local USDA Service Center.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced today an investment of $69 million to address critical food and nutrition security needs of low-income communities enduring the pandemic, enhance the resilience of food and healthcare systems impacted by the pandemic, and maximize funds reaching participants. This is one of several key steps that USDA is taking to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, so every American has a chance to live a productive life and reach their full potential.
Twenty awards totaling $61.5 million are for Nutrition Incentive Grants, and 15 awards totaling $7.5 million are for Produce Prescription Grants. These grants are all part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program COVID Relief and Response (GusCRR) grants program.
“Bolstering nutrition security is one of our top goals in this Administration. The awards we are announcing today will help households in communities across the country – many hard-hit by the pandemic and the resulting economic challenges – be better equipped to purchase healthy fruits and vegetables. The organizations receiving this funding have demonstrated their ability to support vulnerable Americans with timely and impactful relief during this ongoing crisis,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Examples of organizations funded for Nutrition Incentive Grants include:
Examples of organizations funded for Produce Prescription Grants include:
Find out more about the impact and public value of NIFA’s research investments online https://nifa.usda.gov/impacts.
The new Board of Directors of the Almond Board of California (ABC) took their seats on Wednesday with five voting members – three of them new to the board – beginning new terms to help oversee ABC’s support of one of California’s most important agricultural crops.
Board members, whose terms officially began Aug. 1, also elected Brian Wahlbrink as chair and George Goshgarian Jr. as vice chair.
“This is a knowledgeable, talented board,” Wahlbrink said. “Our board members come from across our industry and around our state. They bring a great energy and an impressive range of experience, and we’re all eager to continue moving California almonds forward as one of the state’s most valuable and important crops.”
The 10-member board of ABC has five grower members – three representing independent growers and two representing growers working with cooperatives – and five handler members, also with three independents and two co-op reps.
The new grower representatives are:
The new handler representatives are:
In addition, the board has five new alternates:
The ABC board sets policy and recommends budgets to the Secretary of Agriculture in major areas including production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.
About the Almond Board of California
ABC is a Federal Marketing Order dedicated to promoting California almonds to domestic and international audiences through marketing efforts and by funding and promoting research about almonds’ health benefits, efficient and sustainable farming, food safety and more. ABC works on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom are multi-generational family operations.