evidence: 3.24.21 – USDA announced its new $6 billion financial assistance initiative, called USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers. Combining existing programs with new spending, the initiative aims to resolve disparities in previous assistance distribution through a four-part agenda: $6 billion in Consolidated Appropriations Act and unspent coronavirus funds for new program spending, including assistance for the Dairy Donation Program, biofuels, specialty crops, and farmworker personal protective equipment; $500 million in additional existing program spending, including the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program and the Local Agricultural Marketing Program; continuation of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments, including rate increases and automatic payments for cattle producers, price trigger crop producers, and flat-rate crop producers with eligible CFAP 1 and CFAP 2 applications; and enhancing the CFAP 2 program through $2.5 million in outreach and promotional spending and reopening the CFAP 2 application window for at least 60 days, beginning April 5, 2021.