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COMMODITIES TITLE I
Supplemental Agricultural Disaster Assistance
Amends Section 1501(e) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 to require the Secretary to provide a reimbursement of 75 percent of the losses for beginning and veteran farmers and ranchers under the Tree Assistance Program
Implementation Status: Unclear
- No current information on applications available
CONSERVATION TITLE II
Funding of Conservation Reserve Program
Transition Incentives Program – Increases funding to $50 million, including up to $5 million for outreach and technical assistance, for the transfer of lands from existing CRP contract holders to new and beginning or socially disadvantaged producers.
Implementation Status: Self-Implementing
- Funding Increase
Assistance to Certain Farmers or Ranchers for Conservation Access
Set-asides for “beginning” and “socially disadvantaged” farmers or ranchers are reauthorized for 5 percent.
Implementation Status: Self-Implementing
- Reauthorization of existing set-asides
Administrative Requirements for Conservation Programs
Requires USDA to enter into alternative funding arrangements for conservation programs under the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Quality Incentives Program, allowing beginning producers to have access to these programs administered at the tribal level.
Implementation Status: Pending
- Awaiting administrative guidance and/or regulation from the USDA
TRADE TITLE III
Foreign Trade Missions
Requires the Secretary to seek to support greater inclusion and participation of Native farmers, ranchers, and producers on international trade missions. This also requires a report to Congress within 2 years regarding the efforts of the agencies to increase tribal inclusion on international trade missions.
Implementation Status: Pending
- No report is publicly available
NUTRITION TITLE IV
Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
Demonstration Project for Tribal Organizations – Authorizes $5 million for demonstration projects for tribal organizations to enter into 638 self-determination contracts to procure foods for FDPIR packages, allowing for more locally sourced foods from beginning producers in the area.
Implementation Status: Pending
- Congress appropriated $3 million for this demonstration project, available to be expended until Sept. 30, 2021. Congress appropriated an additional $3 million for this project in 2020. Those funds are available until Sept. 30, 2022.
- USDA has opened the application process for this authority, with applications due March 15, 2021.Food Distribution on Indian Reservations: “638” Self-Governance Demonstration Project
CREDIT TITLE V
GAO Report
Requires the GAO to study the availability of agriculture credit to tribes and tribal producers within the Farm Credit System.
Implementation Status: Complete
- Report available at www.gao.gov/products/GAO-19-464
RURAL DEVELOPMENT TITLE VI
Establishment of Technical Assistance Program
Establishes a permanent Rural Development Tribal Technical Assistance Office to provide technical assistance across all areas of rural development funding for tribal governments, tribal producers, tribal businesses, tribal business entities and tribal designated housing entities.
Implementation Status: Pending
- No information publicly available
HORTICULTURE TITLE X
Local Agriculture Market Program
Establishes tribal eligibility in local programs to grow, process, and market Native foods, including those produced by beginning producers.
Implementation Status: Complete
- The LAMP program partially combines and streamlines two existing, cornerstone local/regional food system programs: the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and Value- Added Producers Grant Program (VAPG)
Domestic Hemp Production
This provision provides a new specialty crop market for beginning producers by making hemp farming legal and authorizes new State and Tribal plans and regulations to develop and expand hemp production. No State or Tribe can prohibit the transportation or shipment through its territory of hemp or hemp products produced in accordance with an approved Tribal or State Plan.
Implementation Status: Complete
- USDA published Final Rule in the Federal Register on January 15, 2021
CROP INSURANCE TITLE XI
Underserved Producers
Includes tribal producers in definition of underserved producers for review and report of whether crop insurance is providing adequate coverage.
Implementation Status: Unclear/Pending
- Tribes included as part of “underserved producers” in legislation, but no RMA report is publicly available
MISCELLANEOUS TITLE XII
Creates permanent, mandatory baseline funding for outreach, education, and training for beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, including tribal farmers and ranchers in the new Farming Opportunities Training Outreach program, and specifies tribal government and tribal producer eligibility for grants under these programs
Implementation Status: Complete
- This program merged the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program (aka “Section 2501”) programs under the same umbrella, while also slightly modifying the criteria for each