The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) have released joint guidance to protect agriculture workers from COVID-19. Agricultural employers can adopt these recommendations to protect workers at their particular work sites or in specific work operations. Western Growers is currently working with key government agencies and industry ...
In response to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) shortages in the agricultural sector, EPA is providing temporary guidance regarding respiratory protection requirements for agricultural pesticide handlers. The temporary guidance outlines approaches to address the unavailability of required respiratory protection and respiratory fit testing that should first be exhausted before considering any…
Late Wednesday, the Senate passed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, which had previously passed the House. The bill is now set for President Trump’s signature. This legislation amends several provisions of the PPP, the forgivable loan program designed to help small businesses keep their workers on the payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Payroll ...
The California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA) is soft-launching the SafelyMakingCA.org web portal to connect employers across the state to California manufacturers making non-medical grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). While the initiative will be officially launching soon, the web portal is live and functioning, and WG members are encouraged to utilize the tool to find…
On June 9, at 12:00 p.m. PT, USDA will host a webinar for specialty crop producers interested in learning more about the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and how to submit additional commodities for USDA consideration through the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process. The deadline to sign up for CFAP is August 28, 2020, ...
Western Growers, United Fresh and the American Frozen Food Institute have teamed up to develop COVID-19 guidance for produce operations. This guidance document provides useful advice and recommendations to help farm owners and operators prepare for seasonal operations including onboarding of seasonal workers, field and facility procedures, and shared/communal housing and transportation to…
Of the $1.4 billion in relief checks already provided to more than 80,000 farmers and ranchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, less than $25 million (less than 2%) has been allocated to specialty crop producers. As part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to provide $16 billion ...
On Tuesday, June 9, Western Growers, United Fresh Produce Association and the American Frozen Food Institute held an industry stakeholder discussion to review COVID-19 guidance for produce operations. Click here to access a recording of the call. The three organizations have teamed up to develop COVID-19 guidance for the produce industry, which is a companion ...
As part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), USDA is making $16 billion in direct payments available for producers who have suffered a five-percent-or greater price decline due to COVID-19. Western Growers has summarized the key eligibility requirements, payment limitations and procedures for applying in a new CFAP Direct Payment Program Fact Sheet. Producers ...
With peak season for many labor-intensive commodities quickly approaching, USDA has compiled a list of potential federal, state, and philanthropic alternative housing opportunities for seasonal farmworkers. Because farmworker housing is typically communal, which could increase the risk for spreading COVID-19, the federal government is gathering housing-related resources designed to protect…
As of June 15, USDA has allocated nearly $2.9 billion of $16 billion in direct payments as part of its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Specialty crops continue to lag other sectors of the agriculture industry, receiving just $53 million (1.8%) of the total funds spent to date. Furthermore, the specialty crop industry has only ...
In addition to the Interim Guidance for Agriculture Workers and Employers recently released by the CDC and the U.S. Department of Labor, the CDC has made the following resources available for the agriculture industry. Agricultural Employer Checklist for Creating a COVID-19 Assessment and Control Plan To prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19, agricultural employers ...
Cal/OSHA continues to develop guidance and resources for employers and workers to protect against COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the disease. Recently, Cal/OSHA has developed guidance related to COVID-19 infection prevention in agriculture. Links to this guidance, along with other agriculture-specific Cal/OSHA resources, are provided below. Cal/OSHA Agriculture Guidance Infection Prevention…
On the heels of well-publicized COVID-19 outbreaks in meat-packing facilities across the country, there have been an increasing number of outbreaks on U.S. produce farms. To minimize the risks of disruption to our critical workforce, the CDC and Department of Labor recently released interim guidance for agriculture workers and employers. But how does this guidance ...
The California Department of Justice has begun sending letters to certain Western Growers members announcing that the Attorney General is “conducting an examination of agricultural workplaces to ensure that adequate measures are being undertaken to protect the health and safety of agricultural workers.” The letter asks the receiving company for specific information about the company ...
As of June 23, USDA has allocated $4 billion of $16 billion in direct payments as part of its Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Just over $84 million has been distributed to the specialty crop industry, or 2.1%. Livestock: $2 billion Non-Specialty: $1 billion Dairy: $895 million Specialty: $84 million For Western Growers member states ...
With peak summer harvest season rapidly approaching, many Western Growers members may still have questions about how to implement the CDC/OSHA interim guidance for agriculture workers and employers in their operations. To address practical applications of the guidance on farms and in facilities, Western Growers is teaming up with leading experts from UC Davis, Rutgers ...
Last week, Governor Newsom announced the creation of Safely Making California, an online web portal (The Marketplace) designed to connect California manufacturers to employers who have the need to purchase non-medical grade Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). As previously reported in Spotlight, Western Growers – along with the Ag Council, California Farm Bureau and several other ...
To date, just $113 million of the nearly $4.9 billion in funding through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) has been distributed to the specialty crop industry, only 2.3% of the total allocations. USDA’s Farm Service Agency announced that it will now accept applications for CFAP through an online portal, expanding the options available to ...