Tag: sonny perdue

During the discussion, Steube announced that the 17th Congressional District has received 17,814 awards totaling $122 million in pandemic response funding and 10,849 awards in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding that total about $700 million.

Perdue said the funds were from “$100 million in grants available to increase American ethanol and biodiesel sales” and are from the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program (HBIIP).

The authorities granted to the USDA would impact the Sunshine State directly, as Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) estimates that, due to COVID-19, Florida school lunch providers face $262 million in sale and reimbursement losses.

Perdue said that that the Seafood Trade Relief Program will used around $530 million from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), to offer this relief.

Perdue authorized USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to extend the waivers for the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) through the end of 2020, keeping almost 80,000 sites open across the country. 

The program addresses harm to the United States lobster industry caused by steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government.

“The Farmers to Families Food Box Program distribution center in Lakeland is at One More Child, a faith-based organization that provides safe, stable, Christian homes and services to children and families in need,” Steube’s office noted.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the funds would be coming to Florida to help the timber industry. According to Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, more than 550 million trees in Florida were damaged by the hurricane and the timber industry lost $1.3 billion due to it.  

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., lead the Congressional Pollinator Caucus. They wrote U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue on the matter last week.

Florida’s farmers and ranchers are integral to our nation and our domestic food security, and it is vital to provide them with support during this public health crisis,” Rubio said. “USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will provide much-needed relief to the farmers and ranchers who are responsible for the resilience of our nation’s domestic food supply. Florida’s farmers and ranchers are hurting, and I will continue to fight for them.”

The letter Wilson and Lawson sent at the end of last week “follows up on this request by appealing to the White House for an expansion of the individual assistance authorized in the state’s disaster declaration,” insisting “broader authorization would clarify USDA’s capacity to approve D-SNAP and, without the change, USDA may not consider Florida eligible for the emergency food benefits.”

As part of the “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,” the $2.2 trillion stimulus deal approved by Congress and the White House at the end of March, $300 million is going to fisheries and the seafood industries.