USDA Invests $700 million

to Provide Relief to Small Producers, Processors, Distributors, Farmers Markets and Seafood Processing Vessels and Processors Impacted by COVID-19

ATTENTION MARYLAND FARMERS AND FARMERS MARKETS:

The USDA recently announced it will soon publish Requests for Applications for new grant programs - the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program and the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant program. These grant programs will provide assistance to small businesses in certain commodity areas, including small scale specialty crop producers and processors, shellfish, aquaculture and other select producers, meat and other processors, distributors, farmers markets, seafood facilities and processing vessels. Today USDA released grant forecasts for these new programs to help potential applicants determine their eligibility and to prepare to apply for funding. Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants and $50 million is available for SPRS. All of these new programs are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.

Keep an eye out for more resources coming soon, and find information about eligibility here.