WASHINGTON D.C.- President Joe Biden announced federal assistance to alleviate costs for farmers and consumers and to ensure there is enough food to meet world demand as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.

Biden said he will double the recently announced federal funding to boost domestic fertilizer production. He also pledged to extend crop insurance coverage for farmers who grow two crops in one field in the same year — a riskier practice known as double cropping.

“You feed America,” Biden said of farmers. “You got us through the pandemic, and you’re literally the backbone of our country. That’s not hyperbole. But you also feed the world, and we’re seeing with Putin’s war in Ukraine, you’re like the backbone of freedom.”

The Biden administration also said Wednesday it hopes to involve more farmers in existing federal programs to expand precision agriculture, which can make fertilizer usage more efficient in an effort to reduce the demands for the products.

Biden and Tom Vilsack said they are further supporting farmers by expanding export opportunities, allowing a wider availability of ethanol fuel blends in the summer months, and scrutinizing the business practices of the four major meatpackers who have made record profits amid soaring meat prices for consumers and dwindling profits for small livestock producers. The administration has also pledged money to boost the number of smaller meat processors.

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