USDA ACCEPTS APPLICATIONS TO HELP LOWER COSTS OF ORGANIC, TRANSITIONING PRODUCERS
Source: USDA news release
Washington - Agricultural producers and handlers who are certified organic, along with producers and handlers who are transitioning to organic production, can now apply for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA)
Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) and
Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP), which help producers and handlers cover the cost of organic certification, along with other related expenses. Applications for OTECP and OCCSP are both due October 31, 2022.
"By helping with organic certification costs - long identified as a barrier to certification - USDA has helped producers participate in new markets while investing in the long-term health of their operations," said Farm Service Agency Administrator Zach Ducheneaux.
"We launched the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program to build on the support offered through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program and provide additional assistance to organic and transitioning producers weathering the continued market impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, in response to stakeholder feedback, we have aligned the signup dates for these two organic programs and encourage producers to work with the local USDA Service Centers and State agencies to complete the applications. The FSA, and the USDA broadly, are committed to making sure our Nation's organic producers and handlers have the tools they need to continue positively shaping our local and regional food systems," said Ducheneaux.
Cost Share for 2022
OTECP covers:
• Certification costs for organic producers and handlers (25% up to $250 per category).
• Eligible expenses for transitional producers, including fees for pre-certification inspections and development of an organic system plan (75% up to $750).
• Registration fees for educational events (75% up to $200).
• Soil testing (75% up to $100).
Meanwhile, OCCSP covers 50% or up to $500 per category of certification costs in 2022.
This cost share for certification is available for each of these categories: crops, wild crops, livestock, processing/handling and State organic program fees.
Producers can receive cost share through both OTECP and OCCSP. Both OTECP and OCCSP cover costs incurred from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022. Producers have until October 31, 2022 to file applications, and FSA will make payments as applications are received.
How to Apply
To apply, producers and handlers should contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at their local USDA Service Center. As part of completing the OCCSP applications, producers and handlers will need to provide documentation of their organic certification and eligible expenses. Organic producers and handlers may also apply for OCCSP through participating State agencies.
Additional details can be found on the
OTECP and
OCCSP webpages.
Opportunity for State Agencies
FSA is accepting applications for State agencies to administer OCCSP through July 18, 2022. If a State department of agriculture chooses to participate in OCCSP, both the State department of agriculture and FSA County Offices in that State will accept OCCSP applications and make payments to eligible certified operations. However, the producer or handler may only receive OCCSP assistance by either FSA or the participating State department of agriculture.
More Information
OTECP builds upon OCCSP, providing additional relief to help producers during the pandemic. OTECP uses funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act; OCCSP is funded through the Farm Bill.
USDA has made other strides to assist organic producers. In 2022, USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) increased expansion limits for organic producers with coverage through Whole-Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP). RMA also updated the insurance option to allow producers to report acreage as certified organic or transitioning, as long as organic certification was requested by the acreage reporting date. Also, this year, RMA introduced a new option - Micro Farm - through WFRP designed for producers with small-scale operations that sell locally, which includes organic producers.
Editor's Note: As we have opined here many times we have absolutely no issues with organic farming or organic seed production. The official policy iis it's a farmer's personal decision, if a business owner feels he can provide a better living for their family, employment to workers, and security for the business through organic production we are all in favor. Our perpetual difficulty occurs when someone tries to tell us that organic food is better for us, more nutritious, or better for the environment. Is is not; market it some other way.
It perplexes that an administration publicly on record criticizing higher food production costs, occasional food shortages, food availability "deserts" in inner cities, frequently on-record railing against food insecurity, can consistently show strong support for less efficient and more expensive food production practices. We have plenty of first-world problems in the US and worrying about food safety is, apparently, something some choose for concern.
We understand there is plenty of government support available for "conventional" agriculture. There ought to be, proportionately, as conventional production provides over 95% of the nation's food. Is subsidizing organic agriculture a wise use of your tax dollars? When was the last time you received government assistance for a business model decision? We'd like to know what you think.
Here's some propaganda released this week that seems inconsistent with increasing organic acreage.
Source: The White House news release
Pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and Putin's Price Hike are increasing the price of food for working families here at home and leading to shortages of food in countries across the globe. Today, President Biden will visit a family farm to announce actions his administration is taking to support American farmers, reduce food prices, and feed the world.
Putin's unjustified invasion of Ukraine has cut off a critical source of wheat, corn, barley, oilseeds, and cooking oil. It has also disrupted global supply chains for fertilizer, which farmers depend on to maximize yields. These and other actions, combined with the ongoing pandemic-related disruptions to global supply chains, have put pressure on food prices, with global food prices increasing nearly 13 percent following Putin's invasion.
America's farmers are the breadbasket of democracy and are already playing a critical role in the fight against Putin's Price Hike. During President Biden's first year in office, American agricultural exports shattered all previous records, reaching a combined $177 billion, generating an estimated $378 billion in total economic output, and supporting 1.3 million jobs here in the United States.