Small Maine agricultural, seafood businesses eligible for pandemic relief
Photo / Jim Neuger
Small Maine seafood processors and agricultural firms are eligible to apply for federal COVID-19 relief under two new grant programs announced on Friday. Shown here is newly caught fish being sorted at the Portland Fish Exchange in Sept. 2020.
Small Maine agricultural and seafood processing businesses are eligible to apply for federal COVID-19 relief funding via two grant programs announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday.
Out of $700 million in federal funding for U.S. firms, $650 million is available through the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program, while $50 million is available through the Seafood Pandemic Response Safety Grant program.
The programs are intended for small businesses in commodities including small-scale specialty crop producers and processors; shellfish, aquaculture and other select producers; meat and other processors; distributors; farmers' markets; and seafood facilities and processing vessels.
Of the $50 million in grants for seafood chain relief, only $850,000 has been designated to the State of Maine, according to Annie Tselikis, executive director of the Maine Lobster Dealers' Association.
Both programs are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. The USDA said it expects to publish requests for applications soon.
"As the economy continues to gain strength after the Biden Administration's historic valuation and economic relief efforts, USDA is working with agricultural and food businesses to ensure they have the resources and tools to thrive in 2021 and beyond," said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
"The funding associated with USDA Pandemic Assistance is meant to serve as a bridge from disruptions associated with the pandemic to longer-term investments to help build back a better food system. Financial relief to these essential distributors, processors and other small agricultural businesses is critical to get our food system back on track."
Members of Maine's Congressional delegation welcomed the funding in a separate announcement on Friday.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, food processors have had to invest significant time, resources and attention to protect their workers and safeguard their ability to provide food to our nation in a time of unprecedented crisis," said a joint statement by U.S. Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Susan Collins, R-Maine, and U.S. Reps. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, and Jared Golden, D-Maine 2nd District.
The lawmakers also noted that the success of seafood processors to meet and overcome the challenges created by COVID is directly linked to the success of fishermen who risk their safety to harvest the seafood that Americans enjoy.
“We welcome this federal support to help the food supply chain weather the pandemic, and we encourage eligible producers, distributors, processors and other small agricultural businesses to apply as quickly as possible," they added.
Find out more about the Pandemic Response and Safety Grant program here, and about the Seafood Processors Pandemic Response and Safety Block Grant program here.
Editor's note: Story updated to clarify amount coming to Maine for seafood chain relief.
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