U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Jovita Carranza announced yesterday that agricultural businesses are now eligible for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance programs. SBA’s EIDL portal has now reopened as a result of funding authorized by Congress through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act. The legislation, signed into law by the President one week ago, provided additional funding for farmers and ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only, in order to provide unprecedented relief to U.S. agricultural businesses. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the streamlined application portal prior to the legislative change, SBA will move forward and process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue applauded the announcement and said “America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers need the same help that other American businesses need during this unprecedented time,” Perdue added “This significant new authority signed by President Trump will make a tremendous difference for America’s agricultural community.”
Agricultural businesses include businesses engaged in the legal production of food and fiber, ranching, and raising of livestock, aquaculture, and all other farming and agricultural related industries.
SBA is encouraging all eligible agricultural businesses with 500 or fewer employees wishing to apply to begin preparing their business financial information needed for their application.
At this time, only agricultural business applications will be accepted due to limitations in funding availability and the unprecedented submission of applications already received.
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Northern Ag Network – 2020
SBA
We don’t want a bailout. We want COOL. We want regulations to limit foreign beef and other meat products . We want fairness with the packers. Fair market competition .