The US Department of Agriculture has announced another $14 billion relief package for ag producers still battling the market impacts of COVID-19.
Secretary Sonny Perdue says the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, also known as CFAP-2, will use funds made available through the CARES Act and Commodity Credit Corporation to support producers of row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and a long list of other commodities.
Payments will be set for three commodity categories:
*Price trigger commodities, such as barley, corn, beans, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat for crops as well as dairy, beef, hogs and sheep. These meet a minimum 5-percent price decline over a set period of time.
*Flat-rate crops like alfalfa, peanuts, rice, hemp or millet, which do not meet a 5-percent price decline or don’t have data available to calculate price changes.
*Sales commodities, including specialty crops, aquacullture, nursey crops, tobacco and other crops or livestock not in the price trigger category but were still grown for food, fiber, fur or feathers.
A payment ceiling of $250,000 per person or entity is allowed. Producers will also have to confirm they meet the Adjusted Gross Income limit of $900,000 unless at least 75 percent of their income is from farming, ranching or forestry-related activities.
CFAP-2 has found favor with several ag groups, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, National Milk Producers Federation, National Potato Council, National Turkey Federation and National Association of Wheat Growers. Kansas Senator Pat Roberts and Congressman Roger Marshall have also praised the relief effort.
Producers can sign up starting Monday. The application period ends Dec. 11. Click here for the link to the program.
