The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this week that in the first month of the application period, the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) approved more than $7 billion in payments to agricultural producers in the second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
CFAP 2 provides producers with financial assistance to help absorb some of the increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman, they have already approved more than 443,000 applications.
Through CFAP 2, USDA is making available up to $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. CFAP 2 is a separate program from the first iteration of CFAP (CFAP 1).
Farmers and ranchers who participated in CFAP 1 will not be automatically enrolled and must complete a new application for CFAP 2. FSA will accept CFAP 2 applications through Dec. 11, 2020. CFAP 2 supports eligible producers of row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture, and many other commodities, including many that were ineligible for CFAP.
To find the latest information on CFAP 2, visit farmers.gov/CFAP.