Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue says the USDA will provide additional assistance through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. The agency will be expanding eligibility for some agricultural producers and commodities and updating payments to accurately compensate some producers who already applied to the program.
Producers who are now eligible and those who need to modify existing applications due to these updates can contact the USDA’s Farm Service Agency between January 19 and February 26.
“The coronavirus has left a deep impact on the farm economy, and we are utilizing the tools and monies available to ease some of the financial burdens on American producers to ensure our agricultural economy remains strong, independent, and a global leader in production,” Perdue says.
Among some of the changes, contract producers of swine, broilers, laying hens, chicken eggs, and turkeys who suffered a drop in revenue in 2020 compared to 2019 because of COVID-19 are now eligible for assistance. Also, producers of pullets and turfgrass sod are now eligible for CFAP payments. Those commodities weren’t explicitly included in the initial CFAP 2 rules. Producers can learn about the other changes at www.farmers.gov/cfap.