USDA trade mitigation has purchased $2.2 billion in food in 2019–2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has purchased more than $2.2 billion of meat, fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, and dairy products in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 in its ongoing efforts to feed people in need and assist American farmers and ranchers suffering from damage due to unjustified trade retaliation by foreign nations. The agency is on target to reach its fiscal year goal of about $1.4 billion of trade mitigation purchases in the next phase of fiscal year purchasing, which ends September 30. The purchases were made through the Food Purchase and Distribution Program (FPDP), one of USDA’s three programs in its Support Packages for Farmers. Most of the food purchased is provided to states for distribution to nutrition assistance programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and child nutrition programs.

The FPDP was established in 2019 to assist U.S. producers by purchasing commodities that have been unfairly targeted. Under the program, the USDA buys food products produced on American farms through approved vendors who have proven they can supply U.S.-produced products.

“Over the past two years, the USDA has issued more than $2 billion in payments to American farmers, ranchers, and producers for U.S.-grown food that is used to help Americans in need,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “Our farmers work hard, and are the most productive in the world, and we crafted the FPDP to help protect them. The FPDP represents just one of the many ways USDA is working hard to fulfill its mission to do right and feed everyone.”