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USDA Notes Benefits to Agriculture and Society

 03/12/2021

According to a USDA release on March 10th, the Department listed activities since the inception of the Biden Administration.

  • On January 22nd electronic SNAP benefits (P-EBT) were extended to low-income and food-insecure children for the duration of the pandemic. Pandemic-EBT benefits were increased by 15 percent to assist families with children missing meals due to school closures.
  • On January 27th, USDA temporarily suspended debt collection, foreclosures and related activities on farm loans for distressed borrowers impacted by coronavirus.
  • On February 17th the USDA Food and Nutrition Service approved 47 states and territories for emergency allotments in SNAP totaling $2 billion for the month of February 2021.  Emergency allotments totaling $56 million were extended for March 2021. 
  • On February 18th USDA and the FDA jointly issued a statement detailing epidemiologic and scientific information confirming that COVID-19 is not transmitted through food or food packaging. 
  • On February 23rd the USDA Food and Nutrition Service released $400 million to support the Emergency Food Assistance Program including a $325 million purchase of food through the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). 
  • On March 1st Texas A & M AgriLife, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture commenced an investigation of the impact of COVID on meat processing.  This research is part of the Rapid Response Research Investment to develop solutions to emerging issues during the pandemic. 
  • On March 9th the USDA extended free meals to children through the summer of 2021 due to COVID.  Waivers have been extended to states to allow all children to continue to receive nutritious meals when schools are not in session extending through September 30, 2021.

 

The USDA is responding to an Administration policy to expand emergency relief, safely reopen schools, businesses and travel and to support a safe and effective vaccination campaign against COVID.

 

Effective March 10th, 472 USDA APHIS personnel have been deployed to Texas to support vaccination efforts.  The Food Safety and Inspection Service has assigned 34 veterinarians to assist with vaccination efforts in Nevada, Maryland and Oklahoma.  The USDA Forest Services deployed 210 incident management team personnel to assist with logistical support for vaccination centers.