After Hurricane Maria, Agricultural Re-Grow in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's Re-Grow program uses HUD CDBG-DR funds and seeks to provide resources for unmet needs, with a focus on small and medium-sized farms recovering from Hurricane Maria.

HUD funds from the Community Development Block Grant program for Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) are being used in Puerto Rico to increase agricultural capacity in both urban and rural areas impacted by Hurricane Maria in 2017.

Puerto Rico's Department of Housing awarded the first three grants under their Re-Grow PR Program, known in Spanish as Renacer Agrícola. The program seeks to provide resources for unmet needs and increase food security throughout the island, with a focus on small and medium-sized farms, agricultural enterprises, and non-governmental organizations involved in sustainable agricultural activities.

The initial grants, totaling $339,000, will help bring economic revitalization to the municipalities of Orocovis, Florida, and Aguada. The funding was awarded to El Paraíso, Pajonal Dairy, and Emilio Hernandez Rios Agricultural companies. The Puerto Rico Science, Technology, and Research Trust serves as a sub-recipient and administrator of the Renacer Agrícola program (https://prsciencetrust.org/re-grow-esp).

For more information about HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program visit: https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/cdbg-dr.

To learn more about Puerto Rico's plans for CDBG-DR funds, visit: cdgb-dr.pr.gov

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