USDA releases funding after reviewing IRA programing
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release funds which were paused due to the review of funding in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
According to a Feb. 20 USDA press release, and following White House directives, Rollins will fulfill contracts already made directly with farmers.
Specifically, USDA will release approximately $20 million in contracts for the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) which all fall under the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
“American farmers and ranchers are the backbone of our nation,” Rollins states in the press release.
“They feed, fuel and clothe our nation, and millions of people around the world,” she adds.
She explains the past four years have been some of the most challenging for American agriculture, largely due to Biden’s policies of overregulation, extreme environmental programs and rising inflation.
“Unfortunately, the Biden administration rushed out hundreds of millions of dollars of IRA funding which was supposed to be distributed over eight years,” she mentions. “After careful review, it is clear some of this funding went to programs which had nothing to do with agriculture, whereas other funding was directed to farmers and ranchers who have since made investments in these programs.”
Rollins continues to note the USDA will fulfill its commitments to American farmers and ranchers, ensuring they receive the support necessary to remain globally competitive.
Funds pending review
A portion of the USDA’s frozen funds, part of former President Joe Biden’s significant climate legislation, has allocated approximately $19.5 billion over a decade for farm programs focused on environmental protection.
The release of remaining funds is still pending reviews, and Rollins states the intent of the reviews is to weed out funding awarded by the Biden administration which had nothing to do with agriculture.
The agency is currently reviewing IRA-funded grants and contracts which were distributed during the Biden administration and include more than 400 USDA programs.
When originally announced, IRA funding provided $19.5 billion in conservation program assistance through NRCS to support oversubscribed conservation programs over a 10-year period, including $8.45 billion to EQIP, $3.25 billion to CSP, $1.4 billion to ACEP and $1 billion for the Conservation Technical Assistance Program.
According to USDA’s 2025 budget, the agency allotted $2.83 billion in funds for EQIP, $943 million for CSP funding and $472 million for ACEP, all through IRA funding.
Climate-smart programs
Contractors involved in the $3.1 billion Partnership for Climate-Smart Commodities conservation pilot program are facing frozen funds as well, although the funds were originally from the Commodity Credit Corporation, USDA’s line of credit at the U.S. Department of Treasury, to launch the program.
Under this program, USDA issued 135 contracts to various groups, companies and universities to help enroll farmers in climate-smart conservation practices which involves 102 different farm commodities.
Some of the grants under the pilot project paid farmers upfront for enrolling and then were reimbursed through USDA.
USDA is also withholding funds for a pair of organic programs – the Organic Market Development Grant Program and the Transition to Organic Partnership Program.
Progress
Moving forward, stakeholders in the agricultural sector will closely monitor USDA’s funding decisions to see how the department prioritizes financial support for farmers and ranchers in upcoming months.
In addition, recent news of unfreezing funds was greeted positively by American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall.
In a Feb. 21 AFBF press release, Duvall states, “AFBF appreciates the decision by Rollins to release funds for conservation program contracts USDA entered into with farmers and ranchers.”
After meeting with Rollins to address concerns, Rollins dedication to championing the issues facing America’s farmers and ranchers was greatly appreciated by Duvall.
Duvall adds, “We’re thankful the administration recognized the importance of making good on the first tranche of agreements. We look forward to future announcements about fulfilling previously signed contracts. We stand ready to work with Rollins to address the growing list of challenges facing agriculture.”
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
