WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, September 18, President Donald Trump and Sonny Perdue, Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced an additional $14 billion dollars for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) begins today, September 21, and will run through December 11, 2020. Congressman Austin Scott (GA-08), a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee, released the below statement encouraging farmers negatively impacted by COVID-19 to sign up as soon as possible:

“As we continue to work through the impacts of COVID-19, ensuring the stability of our food supply chain remains a top priority for Congress and the Administration. USDA listened to feedback from producers and crafted a second program to better meet the needs of our farmers struggling through the negative economic impacts of COVID-19, including market and labor disruptions and other unforeseen costs associated with the virus. I’d encourage farmers whose operations were negatively impacted by COVID-19 to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, which runs through December 11, 2020. More information can be found at www.farmers.gov/cfap,” said Rep. Austin Scott.

USDA will use funds being made available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support farmers in need. USDA has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based from stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers. CFAP 2 payments will provide eligible producers with financial assistance that gives them the ability to absorb some of the increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. Eligible commodities for CFAP 2 include row crops, wool, livestock, specialty livestock, dairy, specialty crops, floriculture and nursey crops, aquaculture, broilers and eggs, and tobacco.

Producers can apply for CFAP 2 at USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices. Additionally, USDA and FSA will host a CFAP 2 Producer Webinar on September 24 at 3:00 PM EDT. Farmers interested in participating can register at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

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