Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by Coronavirus to Receive Additional Assistance

Baton Rouge, La. (September 18, 2020) – The Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M.,  has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plans for expanding the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

According to Mike Strain, an additional $14 billion will go to agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs as a result of the COVID-19 virus.

The USDA announced up to $16 billion in direct payments to America’s farmers and ranchers who suffered losses during the pandemic in May.

This additional money will benefit our farmers and ranchers who have been struggling to stay in business. This has been an exceptionally tough year for most Americans. It’s imperative we keep our agriculture producers operating so we can at least sustain our food supply chain.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M.

You can signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) beginning on September 21. Signup will continue until December 11, 2020.

CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. The funds are available through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES ACT to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and many additional commodities.

Most recently, the USDA extended the deadline for farmers and ranchers to apply for the CFAP from Sept. 11, 2020, to Oct. 9, 2020, for producers in areas impacted by Hurricane Laura.

Producers can apply for CFAP 2 through their local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. If eligible, producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with associated marketing costs. All eligible commodities, payment rates, and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. Additional information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.