From staff reports
President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Friday announced up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) will begin Monday and run through Dec. 11, according to a USDA news release.
The agency said it will use funds being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities.
“America’s agriculture communities are resilient, but still face many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Perdue said.
“We listened to feedback received from farmers, ranchers and agricultural organizations about the impact of the pandemic on our nations’ farms and ranches, and we developed a program to better meet the needs of those impacted.”
USDA said it has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based on stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet those needs.
Producers can apply for CFAP 2 at USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices, according to the USDA.
