(NAFB.com) – The Department of Agriculture Monday announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon receive emergency relief payments.

The payments totaling approximately $6 billion come from the Farm Service Agency’s new Emergency Relief Program to offset crop yield and value losses. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says, “These emergency relief payments will help offset the significant crop losses due to major weather events in 2020 and 2021 and help ensure farming operations are viable this crop year.”

Last September, President Biden signed into law the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, which includes $10 billion in assistance to farmers impacted by wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, winter storms, and other eligible disasters experienced during calendar years 2020 and 2021.

FSA recently made payments to ranchers impacted by drought and wildfire through the first phase of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program.