USDA to Purchase Meat for Federal Food Assistance Programs

Secretary Vilsack announces meat purchase to assist livestock producers affected by drought; bolster federal nutrition programs.

As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to do everything it can to help farmers, ranchers, small businesses and communities being affected by the nation's persistent drought, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA's intent to purchase up to $170 million of pork, lamb, chicken and catfish for federal food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks. USDA says the purchase will help relieve pressure on American livestock producers during the drought, while helping to bring the nation's meat supply in line with demand while providing high-quality, nutritious food to recipients of USDA's nutrition programs.

"President Obama and I will continue to take swift action to get help to America's farmers and ranchers through this difficult time," said Vilsack. "These purchases will assist pork, catfish, chicken and lamb producers who are currently struggling due to challenging market conditions and the high cost of feed resulting from the widespread drought. The purchases will help mitigate further downward prices, stabilize market conditions, and provide high-quality, nutritious food to recipients of USDA's nutrition programs."

USDA announced its intention to purchase up to $100 million of pork products, up to $10 million of catfish products, up to $50 million in chicken products, and up to $10 million of lamb products for federal food nutrition assistance programs, including food banks. Through the Emergency Surplus Removal Program, USDA can use Section 32 funds to purchase meat and poultry products to assist farmers and ranchers who have been affected by natural disasters. The pork, lamb and catfish purchases are based on analyses of current market conditions. A major factor affecting livestock producers is the value of feed, which is currently running high because of the drought.

USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) purchases a variety of high-quality food products each year to support the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Summer Food Service Program, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, the Commodity Supplemental Food Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program. USDA also makes emergency food purchases for distribution to victims of natural disasters.

Government food experts work to ensure that all purchased food is healthful and nutritious. Food items are required to be low in fat, sugar and sodium. The commodities must meet specified requirements and be certified to ensure quality. AMS purchases only products of 100% domestic origin.

In Washington, Obama convened his White House Rural Council to review Executive Branch response actions and to develop additional policy initiatives to assist drought-stricken Americans. Following the meeting, the White House announced a number of new measures, including USDA's assistance for livestock and crop producers, the National Credit Union Administration's increased capacity for lending to customers including farmers, and the U.S. Department of Transportation's emergency waivers for federal truck weight regulations and hours of service requirements to drought-stricken communities.

Within the last month, USDA has opened the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to emergency haying and grazing, has lowered the borrower interest rate for emergency loans, and has worked with crop insurance companies to provide more flexibility to farmers. USDA has also announced the following:

• Authorized $16 million in existing funds from its Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) to target states experiencing exceptional and extreme drought.
• Authorized the transfer of $14 million in unobligated program funds into the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to help farmers and ranchers rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and for carrying out emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.
• Authorized haying and grazing of Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) easement areas in drought-affected areas where haying and grazing is consistent with conservation of wildlife habitat and wetlands.
• Lowered the reduction in the annual rental payment to producers on CRP acres used for emergency haying or grazing from 25% to 10% in 2012.
• Simplified the secretarial disaster designation process and reduced the time it takes to designate counties affected by disasters by 40%.

During the 2012 crop year, USDA has designated 1,792 unduplicated counties across 33 states as disaster areas –— 1,670 due to drought — making all qualified farm operators in the areas eligible for low-interest emergency loans.

Visit www.usda.gov/drought for the latest information regarding USDA's drought response and assistance.

Editor's Note: This article is adapted from a release provided by the USDA.