Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding pandemic relief assistance to include grass seed producers.
This follows a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing where Klobuchar secured a commitment from Robert F. Bonnie, nominee for the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA, to review eligibility requirements for coronavirus relief funds and work to deem grass seed as an eligible commodity.
“The coronavirus pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges for farmers across Minnesota,” said Klobuchar. “This relief will help ensure our grass seed producers have the resources they need to get through this challenging time. As the pandemic and historic drought conditions continue, I’ll keep pushing for policies to meet the needs of our rural communities.”
Grass seed producers who have experienced losses due to the pandemic are encouraged to contact their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) service center to submit an application for financial assistance.
Klobuchar has been a leader in supporting agricultural and rural communities throughout the pandemic.
In June, Klobuchar successfully urged the USDA to expedite financial support and relief for farmers and livestock producers. The month before, Klobuchar announced that turkey producers who experienced pandemic related losses would be eligible for additional relief through USDA programs.
In April 2020, Klobuchar worked to ensure farmers would be eligible for federal small business support and urged Leaders Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Charles Schumer (D-NY) to include provisions authorizing programs and funding for the USDA to assist the domestic poultry industry in any legislation to address the impact of the pandemic. She also successfully pushed to include relief for livestock producers in the bipartisan coronavirus relief bill in December 2020.
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