Department of Agriculture July 10, 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Secretary of Agriculture implemented the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides assistance to agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, through a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2020. We realized that there were errors in some of the payment rates in that final rule. In addition, we were able to reevaluate the payment rates for certain specialty crops based on data that was available from industry in response to the CFAP notice of funding availability, which was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2020. This document corrects payment rates and categories for those specialty crops that were published in the final rule.

This Notice of Funding Availability (Notice) announces that the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (Agency) is accepting fiscal year (FY) 2020 applications for the Delta Health Care Services (DHCS) grant program. Approximately $6.0 million is currently available for FY 2020. The Agency will publish the program funding level on the Rural Development website https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/delta- health-care-services-grants. The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to address the continued unmet health needs in the Delta Region through cooperation among health care professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and economic development entities in the Delta Region.

This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits applications for grants from community-based and non-profit organizations, institutions of higher education, and tribal entities to compete for financial assistance through the OPPE. Funding will be made available for the purpose of leveraging USDA, state, local and private sector resources, to address local agricultural and natural resource issues, encourage collaboration and to develop state and local leadership and partnerships to assist limited resource and socially disadvantaged and veteran farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers and communities through agriculture industries. The eligible entities will provide technical assistance to persistent poverty communities, with emphasis on socially disadvantaged and/or veteran farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers to assist them in establishing a local working leaders group, identifying issues, challenges and assets, preparing a plan of action and identifying resources and means to address and accomplish results through available programmatic services and opportunities.

This final rule implements a recommendation from the Far West Spearmint Oil Administrative Committee (Committee) to increase the assessment rate established for the 2020-2021 and subsequent marketing years. The assessment rate will remain in effect indefinitely unless modified, suspended, or terminated.