USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Thursday that additional commodities have been added to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
The decision was made based on comments from producers and organizations as well as a review of market data.
Here were the commodities added: Adding the following commodities: alfalfa sprouts, anise, arugula, basil, bean sprouts, beets, blackberries, Brussels sprouts, celeriac (celery root), chives, cilantro, coconuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, greens (others not listed separately), guava, kale greens, lettuce - including Boston, green leaf, Lolla Rossa, oak leaf green, oak leaf red and red leaf - marjoram, mint, mustard, okra, oregano, parsnips, passion fruit, peas (green), pineapple, pistachios, radicchio, rosemary, sage, savory, sorrel, fresh sugarcane, Swiss chard, thyme and turnip top greens.
Additionally, eligibility was expanded for apples, blueberries, garlic, potatoes, raspberries, tangerines and taro. Prior to the changes, these commodities were only eligible for marketing adjustments, but the USDA found they all had a price decline of more than 5 percent from mid-January to mid-April because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Producers can submit applications that include these commodities from July 13 until Aug. 28.
“During this time of national crisis, President Trump and USDA have stood with our farmers, ranchers, and all citizens to make sure they are taken care of,” said Secretary Perdue. “When we announced this program earlier this year, we asked for public input and received a good response. After reviewing the comments received and analyzing our USDA Market News data, we are adding new commodities, as well as making updates to the program for existing eligible commodities. This is an example of government working for the people - we asked for input and we updated the program based on the comments we received.”
You can find more here.
