Gov. Tom Wolf has announced the availability of $40 million in funding through the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support Pennsylvania’s dairy industry and food security programs.

Specifically, $15 million will provide an opportunity for dairy farmers to receive direct relief payments, and $5 million will reimburse dairy farmers who participate in the Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) program by donating excess dairy product to the commonwealth’s charitable food system.

Any dairy farm that experienced financial losses due to discarded or displaced milk during the COVID-19 emergency may apply for assistance. Each farm with a documented loss will receive a minimum of $1,500 and an additional prorated share of the remaining funds, not to exceed the actual amount assessed by the handler. The deadline to apply for the Dairy Indemnity Program is Sept. 30.

Also, $15 million will go to the State Food Purchase Program, which provides cash grants to counties for the purchase and distribution of food to low-income people, and $5 million will go to the PASS program to reimburse the agricultural industry for the costs involved in harvesting, processing, packaging and transporting food they donate to the charitable food system.

The PASS program helps to support Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry in all 67 counties and reduce waste of agricultural surplus by making connections between production agriculture and the nonprofit sector.

For information as it relates to agriculture during COVID-19 mitigation in Pennsylvania, visit agriculture.pa.gov/COVID. For the most accurate, timely information related to health in Pennsylvania, visit on.pa.gov/coronavirus.

Source: Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.