Florida Agriculture Commissioner
Tallahassee, Fla. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced updates to a pandemic assistance program for agriculture producers. The updates to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP2) include expanded eligibility and increased flexibility. USDA has set a deadline of Oct. 12, 2021 for eligible producers to apply or modify CFAP2 applications.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are encouraging eligible Florida producers to review the program modifications and to apply via local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices before the October 12 deadline.
“Florida’s agriculture industry suffered catastrophic losses due to pandemic-related market disruptions – with our seasonal crop producers experiencing over $500 million in crop losses in the first few months of 2020 alone,” said Commissioner Fried.
“While we know the federal relief programs won’t cover the full extent of the harm felt since the start of the pandemic, they are providing much-needed direct financial assistance to our farmers in the face of continued challenges. I am hopeful these updates will allow for more Florida farmers to benefit, and strongly encourage all eligible producers to apply if you have not yet done so to take advantage of this assistance before the October deadline.”
Full details and application forms can be found at Farmers.gov/CFAP and other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from Farmers.gov/CFAP/Apply.