State Departments of Ag Push for More Spending Flexibility

Posted by Growing Produce Staff|February 10, 2021

The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has sent a letter to U.S. Acting Secretary of Agriculture Kevin Shea to request additional flexibility for states’ use of specialty crop block grants included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 to enhance their responses to the continued demands COVID-19 places on the industry.

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association that represents elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories.

“State departments of agriculture appreciated the decision of the Office of Management and Budget to allow short term relief, but challenges impacting our food supply related to COVID-19 are still present and continued flexibility is needed,” NASDA CEO Dr. Barb Glenn says. “Unfortunately, such relief did not carry forward for 2021 funds through the normal farm bill mechanism, or for the additional emergency funds appropriated in the omnibus.”

In the letter, Glenn outlined additional ways state agriculture departments could use the grants if given approval. Examples included implementing vaccination programs for agricultural and food workers, building COVID-19 related infrastructure, and offsetting increased costs to providing safe worker housing and transportation.

Click here to read the letter in its entirety.