Sep 10, 2021

USApple: Many apple businesses omitted from COVID-19 assistance program

Many U.S. apple businesses won’t qualify for critical COVID-relief assistance that was announced Sept. 9 by USDA, said the U.S. Apple Association.

The $700 million Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grant program is intended to support businesses that incurred worker housing and transportation costs, as well as personal protective equipment, testing and other related expenses. But, says USApple, the program’s focus on small producers means many U.S. apple businesses won’t be eligible.

“We are pleased to see that the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant Program takes into consideration the types of expenses incurred by the apple industry,” s USApple President and CEO Jim Bair said in a news release. “But we are concerned that as currently structured it appears many growers will not qualify for this assistance.”

From the onset of the pandemic, apple growers, packers and processors have been on the front lines working to ensure the safety of their workers while continuing to deliver America’s favorite fruit to consumers. This came at significant cost to apple businesses – from adhering to social distancing through retro-fitting packing and processing facilities, to securing additional transportation and housing. In addition, growers purchased personal protective equipment for their workers, secured tests and in some cases hired additional workers to step in for those in quarantine. Portions of the crop went unharvested due to COVID-related worker shortages.

“USApple has advocated for the past 18 months for federal assistance to offset these expenses, which averaged several hundred dollars per worker,” continued Bair. “Congress recognized this need through targeted funding included in the December and March COVID-relief bills. We now stand ready to work with Congress and the administration to make improvements to the program with the goal of expanding access to more apple businesses.”

USDA’s announcement

USDA;s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) announced Sept. 9 it will soon publish Requests for Applications (RFAs) for the Pandemic Response and Safety (PRS) Grants program to support agricultural stakeholders who haven’t yet received substantial federal financial assistance in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. This grant program will provide assistance to small businesses in certain commodity areas, including small scale specialty crop producers, food processors, manufacturers, distributors and farmers markets.

A grant forecast is now available to help potential applicants determine their eligibility and to prepare to apply for funding. Eligible entities should visit the PRS grant portal at usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov for complete information on the program, including how to obtain a free of charge DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) BEFORE applying for this program.

On Sept. 23, USDA will issue another announcement indicating that entities may submit their applications through the grant portal; entities will need their DUNS number to submit an application. Read More