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National & World Ag News Headlines |
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USDA to Provide Pandemic Assistance to Livestock Farmers
USAgNet - 07/21/2021
Livestock and poultry producers who suffered losses during the pandemic due to insufficient access to processing can apply for assistance for those losses and the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animals. U.S. Ag Secretary Vilsack announced the
Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program in recorded remarks at the National Pork Industry Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The announcement is part of USDA's Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative. Livestock and poultry producers can apply for
assistance through USDA's Farm Service Agency through Sept. 17, 2021.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, authorized payments to producers for losses of livestock or poultry depopulated from March 1, 2020 through December 26, 2020, due to insufficient processing access as a result of the pandemic. PLIP payments
will be based on 80% of the fair market value of the livestock and poultry and for the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animal. Eligible livestock and poultry include swine, chickens and turkeys, but pork producers are expected to be the primary
recipients of the assistance.
"Throughout the pandemic, we learned very quickly the importance and vulnerability of the supply chain to our food supply," said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. "Many livestock producers had to make the unfortunate decision to depopulate their livestock
inventory when there simply was no other option. This targeted assistance will help livestock and poultry producers that were among the hardest hit by the pandemic alleviate some financial burden from these losses."
The previous administration proposed pandemic assistance using flat rates across the industry, which does not take into account the different levels of harm felt by different producers. Pork industry supported analysis projected that disruptions in processing
capacity in the pork supply chain create a situation with small hog producers and especially those that sell on the spot market or negotiate prices, bear a disproportionate share of losses. USDA has examined the difference between the negotiated prices for hogs
and the 5-year average and documented a significant drop during April through September of 2020 due to the pandemic. USDA has set aside up to $50 million in pandemic assistance funds to provide additional assistance for small hog producers that use the
spot market or negotiate prices. Details on the additional targeted assistance are expected to be available this summer.
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