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CFAP 2 details coming soon
While Congress has yet to finalize the details of another coronavirus relief package, USDA is expected to announce its second aid program as early as this week.
Congress approved $14 billion dollars in Commodity Credit Corporation funds on top of $16 billion allocated for the first Coronavirus Food Assistance Program which made direct payments based on producer losses in the first quarter.
USDA officials say the second program will be more inclusive for commodities that weren’t eligible for the first program. While in Michigan last week, Undersecretary Bill Northey said the agency has a better idea on ways the first CFAP didn’t work for all producers and they hope the next version provides a wider fit.
Northey met with cherry growers who haven’t been able to apply for CFAP or the Margin Protection Program for direct producer payments because of eligibility requirements even though growers are still being impacted by low prices.
Program enrollment closed last Friday for the first round of aid which is distributing more than $9.7 billion to about 600,000 producers across the country impacted by COVID-19 losses.
The second version is expected to cover COVID-19 losses from the 2020 growing season and others, like losses in the cattle industry, which were not addressed in the first program.
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