Community Corner
Following Advocacy From Garamendi, USDA Purchases $40 Million In Almonds To Support Growers During Covid-19 Pandemic
"California's almond industry was already facing hardship from retaliatory tariffs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic."
August 19, 2020
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) applauded the United States Department of Agriculture’s decision to purchase $40 million of U.S.-grown almonds to support America’s almond growers as they grapple with the impact COVID-19 has had on their industry. This decision follows a letter from Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) to the United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue advocating for the United States Department of Agriculture’s support for California’s almond industry through a direct purchase program as it grapples with the effects of COVID-19.
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“California’s almond industry was already facing hardship from retaliatory tariffs prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 has made a hard year even harder for California’s almond growers, and the federal government must take action to help them weather this storm,” Garamendi said.
“Since the onset of COVID-19 almond raw bulk market prices have drastically declined, and the industry anticipates a 36% reduction in farm gate value, according to the Almond Alliance of California. Almonds are a top-three commodity in California, contributing approximately 104,000 jobs and more than $11 billion to the state’s economy,” Garamendi continued.
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“As our nation toils with a once-in-a-century global pandemic there is an even greater need to ensure our nation’s food supply is strong. California’s food banks have seen a 73% increase in demand due to COVID-19, and demand is expected to remain high in the coming years. I’m pleased that USDA has approved the request a bipartisan coalition of my California colleagues and I made to directly purchase U.S.-grown almonds. This decision will help California’s almond growers weather this storm and ensure this nutritious product will continue to feed Americans during these turbulent times” Garamendi concluded.
A copy of Garamendi’s letter to Secretary Perdue can be viewed here.
This press release was produced by the Office of Congressman John Garamendi. The views expressed here are the author’s own.