USDA will be hosting a series of listening sessions providing the U.S. aquaculture industry an opportunity to communicate how USDA can best serve this farming community.  These Deep Dive sessions hosted by various USDA Agencies (see below) across the Department’s eight Mission Areas will be offered November 9 – 30 and will be followed by a December 11 webinar entitled Aquaculture is Agriculture: USDA’s Role in supporting Farmers of Fish,…

Thanks to Paul Zajicek at the National Aquaculture Association for sharing this important news: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, created a simpler loan forgiveness application for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans of $50,000 or less. This action streamlines the PPP forgiveness process to provide financial and administrative relief to America’s smallest businesses while also ensuring sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars. SBA and Treasury have also…

Please join USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation Under Secretary Bill Northey and Farm Service Agency Associate Administrator Steve Peterson on Monday, September 21, 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) for a stakeholder call on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2). USDA is implementing a second sign up of the CFAP for agricultural providers who continue to face market disruptions and associated marketing costs because of COVID-19. Signups will begin September 21, 2020…

Applications for phase 2 of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) are now being accepted through Dec. 11, 2020. Today (Monday, Sept. 21, 2020) USDA is hosting a conference call explaining the program at 4:00 pm Eastern. Details are in this blog post. You have several ways of applying: Online: If you are applying as an individual (NOT as a business, LLC, corporation or other entity) and you already…

USDA announced today that it will provide an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers facing market disruptions and associated costs due to COVID-19. Unlike the first go-round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) funding, this time shellfish farmers are eligible for relief. Signup for CFAP 2 will begin September 21 and run through December 11, 2020. A number of questions about the CFAP 2 program have been clarified thanks to…

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has published guidance to address borrower and lender questions concerning forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, as provided for under section 1106 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), as amended by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (Flexibility Act). Read the PPP forgiveness frequently asked questions.

A series of newly published fact sheets, “Tropical Storm and Hurricane Preparedness for Off-Bottom Oyster Aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico” provide guidelines and suggested safety procedures to prepare for tropical storms and hurricanes. Florida Sea Grant, the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium and Louisiana Sea Grant created the series to help oyster farmers reduce damages related to wind, storm surge and decreased salinity from flooding. The six publications focus on…

The SBA has made several changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to give applicants greater flexibility and make the program more workable, including extending the time and clarifying some of the terms for loan forgiveness. We still have not been able to determine if seed purchases would qualify as non-payroll expenses that might be forgiven. June 8, 2020The Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with Treasury, will promptly issue rules…

The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was formally rolled out in the Federal Register last week. We have finally received guidance that shellfish aquaculture will NOT be eligible to be considered for these funds, despite language in the Federal Register suggesting that “saltwater aquaculture” would be eligible. Despite not being eligible for CFAP relief payments, the USDA has requested that we share data on pricing, sales volume and inventory.…

As a service to our members, many of whom have been hit hard by restaurant closures, ECSGA is beefing up its Buy Shellfish page with information about growers who offer products and services direct to consumers. If you’re a member and you want to be listed, head over to the Farm Sign-Up page and fill out the form. The categories are: type of shellfish or merch (knives, t-shirts, oysters, clams,…