By Clint Thompson
Were your agricultural sales impacted by COVID-19? Why not take advantage of a United States Department of Agriculture program designed to provide aid to growers who struggled during the global pandemic.
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP 2, provides financial assistance to producers whose markets were disrupted by COVID-19. This is part of a larger initiative to improve USDA pandemic assistance to producers.
Adam Rabinowitz, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist at Auburn University, said this program is something farmers can benefit from.
“They might as well take advantage of it because it is being offered out there, and it can help mitigate some of the challenges that they faced last year that negatively impacted their sales,” Rabinowitz said.
CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-Rate Crops and Sales Commodities.
More than 230 fruit and vegetable crops fall under the sales commodities category. Visit farmers.gov/cfap for more information on the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, including eligible commodities, producer eligibility, payment limitations and structure, and the latest program resources.