The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced $700 million in competitive grant funding to help farmworkers and meat packing workers with pandemic related costs. Included in that is a pilot program of $20 million being provided to support grocery workers. Nebraska Grocery Industry Association Executive Director Ansley Fellers says that aid is welcome for her industry’s workers as well as for their employers.

She says other federal aid to aid the grocery industry and help it recover from the pandemic would also be helpful.

Fellers says besides the pandemic the other major challenge facing the grocery industry is the labor challenge and finding enough workers to fill all the open jobs.

Under the USDA program funds will be awarded to through grants to state agencies, tribal entities and non profit organizations serving farm workers and mean packing workers.