U.S. Department of Agriculture officials this week expanded commodity eligibility, under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey says over 60 crops and livestock species were added to the list.
?We included some aquaculture, from crawfish to catfish to tilapia. One thing important to Iowa is liquid and frozen eggs. (They) were added. Another we added for sheep producers is sheep over two years old, so rams and ewes that are breeding stock. As we looked at the information, we could see we had a price reduction in those as well,? Under Secretary Northey says.
Under Secretary Northey says these changes were in response to a Notice of Funding Availability. Department officials also extended the application deadline to September 11. The Farm Service Agency will also issue additional payments to producers who already received 80-percent of their earned payment.
?We?ll go ahead and make that additional 20-percent payment on the existing $7 billion of CFAP that has been paid. That will add another $1.7 billion in payments that will start hitting folks accounts by the end of next week,? Under Secretary Northey says.
Producers reporting a new cause of loss and/or preliminary losses will receive 100-percent of their earned payment upon sign up. Northey says after the sign-up period, remaining dollars will be directed towards support producers. USDA hopes to unveil its plans for those funds before final payments are settled.
