After the President’s signature on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act the next level of focus has transferred to implementing the authorizations that are included in the law. Included in the law are provisions which deal with various elements of financial assistance through the Small Business Administration (SBA). Based on request from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Nevada Farm Bureau sent an email request to Nevada’s Congressional members, Mark Amodei and Steven Horsford, both who have agricultural constituents, to join fellow Congressional colleagues to the SBA Administrator, Jovita Carranza to issue guidance to clarify that agricultural business are eligible to participate in the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program.
In a bipartisan, bicameral letter effort, that included Nevada’s U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto as a co-leader in this project, another letter was sent encouraging Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to focus on assistance for cattlemen. That letter opened this way… “
We write to request swift assistance for cattle producers with the resources provided in the recently enacted Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stabilization (CARES) Act to facilitate the stabilization of farm and ranch income to producers who are facing market volatility in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout.”
The legislation included funding ($14 billion) to replenish funds that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been using over the past couple of years for the Market Facilitation program. Another $9.5 billion was put in the bill, targeted for livestock producers and specialty crop producers. It was the $9.5 billion given attention in the Senator’s letter for cattlemen.
Along with staying in touch with the Farm Service Agency (FSA) to stay informed on opportunities for assistance, farmers and ranchers should also consider reaching out to SBA for programs that might meet your needs.
This website
”) will give you the contact information to use, as well as more specifics on what is being made available.
Members of the AFBF staff have been doing an outstanding job of digging deep into the proposals as well as the outcomes of the assistance bill. AFBF Economist Veronica Nigh
offers here
background details on the assistance programs available from SBA.
Through on-going interaction within the Farm Bureau network as well as on-going outreach to “converse” with Farm Bureau members on the front-line, we’re able to stay updated and focused on on-going needs. We strongly encourage Farm Bureau members to not hesitate in getting in touch with Nevada Farm Bureau (775) 870-3349 or by email to
doug@nvfb.org
. We aren’t always able to resolve troubles, but by being away of needs or from ideas shared, we’re able to do what we can…