U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency in Georgia to Host April 11 Workshop on Emergency and Pandemic Assistance Programs

Contact: Jay Ivey
Jay.Ivey@usda.gov
706-510-5318

Help Available for Revenue Losses Due to Natural Disaster Events and Market Fluctuations

ATHENS, Ga., April 5, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Georgia State Executive Director, Arthur Tripp, invites agricultural producers to attend a workshop to learn about revenue loss assistance available through two new programs, the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two and the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP). During the workshop, FSA staff will provide an overview of the ERP Phase Two and PARP and walk through the application process for these programs. The workshop is free and open to the public and can be attended virtually or in-person on April 11, 2023 at 1:30 p.m. There will be multiple in-person locations across the state. For more information regarding in-person workshops, please contact your local USDA Service Center for details. To attend virtually, please email Ansley.Hatcher@usda.gov for the virtual meeting link. Persons with disabilities who require special accommodations to attend or participate in this meeting should contact Dianne Westmoreland at (706) 546- 2269, or email dianne.westmoreland@usda.gov.

FSA is currently accepting applications for these new revenue loss programs designed to provide assistance to producers impacted by 2020 and 2021 natural disasters or the COVID-19 pandemic.

To be eligible for ERP Phase Two, producers must have suffered a decrease in allowable gross revenue in 2020 or 2021 due to necessary expenses related to losses of eligible crops from a qualifying natural disaster event. Assistance will be primarily to producers of crops that were not covered by Federal Crop Insurance or the
Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), since crops covered by Federal Crop Insurance and NAP were included in the assistance under ERP Phase One.

To be eligible for PARP, an agricultural producer must have been in the business of farming during at least part of the 2020 calendar year and had a 15% or greater decrease in allowable gross revenue for the 2020 calendar year, as compared to a baseline year.

“Over the past several years, the pandemic and natural disaster events in Georgia have resulted in significant revenue losses for our agricultural producers,” said Arthur Tripp, State Executive Director of FSA in Georgia. “The roll out of these two new revenue-based programs is an important step toward our goal of providing our producers with the support and resources they need to continue feeding and clothing our communities. Through this workshop, we will provide farmers and livestock producers valuable information on applying for these programs.”

Applications for both new programs are due June 2, 2023. Producers can apply for ERP Phase 2 and PARP during a single appointment with their local USDA’s Farm Service Agency office.

ERP Phase Two and PARP take a more holistic approach to disaster assistance, ensuring producers not only make it through a single growing season, but have the financial stability to invest in the long-term well-being of their operations and employees.

Please visit your local USDA Service Center for more information on ERP Phase Two, PARP and our full portfolio of conservation, price support, safety-net, credit and disaster assistance programs.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.