NEWS

Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by Coronavirus to Receive Additional Assistance  

September 18, 2020

Baton Rouge, La. (September 18, 2020) – Today, Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M.,  announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expanding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. An additional $14 billion will go to agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs as a result of COVID-19. In May, the USDA announced up to $16 billion in direct payments to America’s farmers and ranchers who suffered losses during the pandemic.

“This additional money will benefit our farmers and ranchers who have been struggling to stay in business. This has been an exceptionally tough year for most Americans. It’s imperative we keep our agriculture producers operating so we can at least sustain our food supply chain,” said Strain.

Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will begin September 21 through December 11, 2020.

CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. The funds are available through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES ACT to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities.

Most recently, the USDA extended the deadline for farmers and ranchers to apply for the CFAP from Sept. 11, 2020, to Oct. 9, 2020, for producers in areas impacted by Hurricane Laura.

Producers can apply for CFAP 2 through their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. If eligible, producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with associated marketing costs. All eligible commodities, payment rates, and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. Additional information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

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