Congress Provides Farm and Food Relief

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) today welcomed Congressional approval of H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, legislation to provide assistance to those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, along with the fiscal year 2021 appropriations bills to ensure continued funding for vital federal programs.

The legislation provides $13 billion to address COVID-related impacts on agriculture, $13 billion to support nutrition programs and $7 billion for broadband funding.

“The assistance provided by this bill will go a long way in providing the certainty corn growers need to recover from the impact of the coronavirus on our industry,” said NCGA President John Linder. “We thank those members who fought to deliver this needed relief and ensure we can continue to feed and fuel the world.”

Linder also praised the authority granted to USDA to provide support for ethanol producers, who were impacted by a drop in ethanol demand, along with the increased funding in food assistance to help meet the growing rates of hunger brought on by the pandemic.

The legislation also includes a reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), including a cost share change supported by NCGA to enable construction to begin on a new lock and dam in 2021.

“America’s corn farmers need reliable means of moving their crop to customers and the inland waterways are a vital artery of transportation for our products, especially in the Midwest,” Linder said. “Continuing to invest in this system is critically important to our industry’s competitiveness.”