The USDA and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Tuesday $20 million in funding to assist producers devastated by natural disasters over the past two years. Earmarked for Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota and surrounding areas, the aid will be used to help rebuild storage facilities damaged by the 2021 Kentucky tornadoes and Derechos that swept through the Midwest this summer. USDA estimates the funding will cover roughly 75% of eligible expenses associated with building grain storage capacity and equipment.

To determine locations where producers may be eligible for emergency grain storage facility assistance, state impact area maps for Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota and surrounding areas can be viewed here.

From Ag Secretary Vilsack:

“Over the past two years, weather events in several states caused catastrophic losses to grain storage facilities on family farms as well as a large, commercial grain elevator, leaving stored grain exposed to the elements and affecting commodity marketing options for many producers. USDA heard from congressional leaders, including Minority Leader McConnell, who identified a gap in our disaster assistance toolkit, and we went to work designing a new program to deliver direct assistance to producers who are struggling to meet their on-farm storage capacity needs in the wake of disasters.”

Read more on the USDA disaster aid funding.