$50,000,000 in Grants Allocated to Help Seafood Industry
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I’m Haylie Shipp.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the allocation of $50,000,000 in grant funds to help the seafood industry in 25 states and territories.
The funding, which Congress appropriated in the COVID-19 emergency relief portion of the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed this past December, will be awarded to state agencies to help companies that operate fishing vessels and processing facilities reduce the cost of planning and executing their responses to the pandemic.
Seafood processors and fishing boat owners will apply for funds through their state’s funding agency.
In our region, Florida has been allocated $516,208 with Alabama and Georgia both receiving $200,000.
Alaska, by far America’s largest seafood producer, will receive nearly $30.7 million in grant funding.
Grants can cover several activities including workplace safety measures, market pivots such as having to change to online sales, retrofitting facilities, transportation, worker housing, or to cover unreimbursed costs associated with medical needs.
Have questions? Visit the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Services website at ams.usda.gov.
