Gov. Kay Ivey has awarded $26 Million of CARES Act Funds to assist Alabama Agriculture impacted by COVID-19. Funding will be used to establish the Alabama Agricultural Stabilization Program (AASP). No funds may be utilized for salaries, building projects, or capital improvements.
Below is a summary of each of the seven programs:
- Direct Payment Business Stabilization Grants to Cattle Producers – $10.5 million for feeder and fed cattle sold between April 16, 2020 and May 15, 2020, and dairy producers that qualified for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
- Meat Processing Plant Reimbursement Program – $1.5 million for reimbursements of up to $50,000 for existing processors to expand capacity to meet increased demand caused by COVID-19.
- Poultry Farmer Stabilization Grant Program – $4 million to assist poultry farmers that have experienced an extended downtime (longer than 21 days) between flocks and have not been otherwise compensated.
- Catfish Processor Reimbursement Program – $500,000 to reimburse catfish processing plants for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020 and July 31, 2020.
- Fruit & Vegetable Processor Reimbursement Program – $500,000 to reimburse fruit and vegetable processing plants for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020 and July 31, 2020. Funds may also be used to reimburse the processors for the purchase of equipment such as washing stations, flash freezers and packaging equipment to expand production to meet increased demand caused by COVID-19.
- State Supplemental CFAP Grant Program – $8 million for a state supplemental payment to producers that qualified for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The exact percentage to be used for the state payment will be determined after all state supplemental CFAP applications have been received and USDA’s CFAP data is finalized.
- – $1 million to reimburse licensed nursery growers for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020 and July 31, 2020. This program will not apply for nursery growers that are compensated through the State Supplemental CFAP Program for their nursery losses.
Please refer to www.agi.alabama.gov for sign-up details.