March 18, 2021
President Biden signed a massive $1.9 trillion COVID relief package called the American Rescue Plan Act. Among its many provisions is a $3.6 billion mandate to purchase agricultural commodities, some of which are required to be eggs.
The law (P.L. 117-2) sets aside $4 billion for “food supply chain and agriculture pandemic response.” Of that amount, up to $3.6 billion will be used to purchase commodities, primarily for donations to food banks. The funds will be spent on many different commodities, and it is not known how many dollars will go to any specific product. However, eggs are singled out as a commodity that must be purchased with the funds. The balance of the $4 billion is also of potential benefit to the egg industry, as it includes:
Other provisions that will potentially expand food demand by low-income Americans include:
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