CNMI Fishermen and Farmers eligible for USDA Diesel Fuel Relief Aid

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $8 billion to provide one-time payments to fishermen and farmers to provide monetary relief from increased diesel fuel prices. CNMI fishermen and farmers, along with those from other U.S. territories, will be eligible to apply for relief under a special formula. To be considered, producers from the CNMI and other U.S. territories are encouraged to provide data on increased fuel costs to HarvestFuel@usda.gov, which they will then consider in determining reimbursement rates. Once those rates are determined, producers can then apply for cost reimbursement. Payment rates for their commodities will be set after USDA’s November payments for mainland staple crops.