Livestock forage and grapes that are cultivated for wine will now qualify for the second phase of USDA's Emergency Relief Program after a modification made by the department.
ERP Phase Two has been changed to value losses and provide benefits for certain crops that are essential for a farming operation but don't generate revenue themselves. For example, in the case of wine grapes, the farm revenue comes from the wine rather than the grapes.
“When designing and implementing new programs for a sector as diverse and complex as agriculture, it’s almost inevitable that we encounter situations that we had not previously considered. The updates to the Emergency Relief Program that we are announcing today address the unique needs of producers of crops that are used on-farm and may not generate sales revenue,” said Zach Ducheneaux, Farm Service Agency administrator.
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Producers of these on-farm use crops like grapes and forage can now apply to recoup losses occurring from the natural disasters of 2020 and 2021. ERP Phase Two is focused primarily on crops that are not covered by crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program. The value of on-farm use crops is determined by production amount and crop price.
The application deadline for ERP Phase Two is July 14. Producers also have the option to revise existing ERP Phase Two applications with wine grapes and forage if applicable.
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