Kaptur Urges Northern Ohio Farmers Hurt By COVID-19 To Apply For USDA Direct Payments
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) release the following statement urging farmers across Northern Ohio who have suffered losses as a result of the dual public health and economic challenges caused by coronavirus to apply for direct payments being made available by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Thanks to legislation passed by Congress, including the CARES Act and the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, USDA is making $16 billion available to farmers, funding which will be administered through the Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Funds will be available for direct distribution to farmers who have suffered a five percent or greater price decline or who have faced losses from market supply chain disruptions from mid-January to mid-April as a result of to COVID-19. Applications will be accepted from May 26, 2020 to August 28, 2020.
"Our farmers have shouldered an overwhelming amount of burden as a result of COVID-19," said Rep. Kaptur. "These challenges come in addition to climate change and the trade wars imposed on them by President Trump. Our farmers are the pillars on which our families, food banks, school lunch programs, restaurants, and food insecure communities stand. I urge all eligible farmers to apply for assistance. Local Farm Service Agencies are able to help guide applicants through the application process."
Farmers of the following commodities are eligible for payments:
- Wool
- Livestock
- Dairy
- Non-Specialty Crops: Malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, and hard red spring wheat
- Specialty Crops-
- Fruits: Apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons
- Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, taro
- Nuts: Almonds, pecans, walnuts
- Other: Beans, mushrooms
Applications can be found here: https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AD3114_200519V01%20%20FINAL.pdf. Payments will come in two installations. The first tranche will be 80% of the full awarded amount and dispersed upon application approval. The second tranche should comprise the remaining 20% and will be dispersed later in the year.
For more information on funding, payment limits, eligible commodities, application documents, and Farm Service Agencies contacts see Facts for USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and USDA's CFAP website https://www.farmers.gov/cfap.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) release the following statement urging farmers across Northern Ohio who have suffered losses as a result of the dual public health and economic challenges caused by coronavirus to apply for direct payments being made available by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Thanks to legislation passed by Congress, including the CARES Act and the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act, USDA is making $16 billion available to farmers, funding which will be administered through the Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Funds will be available for direct distribution to farmers who have suffered a five percent or greater price decline or who have faced losses from market supply chain disruptions from mid-January to mid-April as a result of to COVID-19. Applications will be accepted from May 26, 2020 to August 28, 2020.
"Our farmers have shouldered an overwhelming amount of burden as a result of COVID-19," said Rep. Kaptur. "These challenges come in addition to climate change and the trade wars imposed on them by President Trump. Our farmers are the pillars on which our families, food banks, school lunch programs, restaurants, and food insecure communities stand. I urge all eligible farmers to apply for assistance. Local Farm Service Agencies are able to help guide applicants through the application process."
Farmers of the following commodities are eligible for payments:
- Wool
- Livestock
- Dairy
- Non-Specialty Crops: Malting barley, canola, corn, upland cotton, millet, oats, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, durum wheat, and hard red spring wheat
- Specialty Crops-
- Fruits: Apples, avocados, blueberries, cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, oranges, papaya, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, tangerines, tomatoes, watermelons
- Vegetables: Artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, dry onions, green onions, peppers, potatoes, rhubarb, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, taro
- Nuts: Almonds, pecans, walnuts
- Other: Beans, mushrooms
Applications can be found here: https://www.farmers.gov/sites/default/files/documents/AD3114_200519V01%20%20FINAL.pdf. Payments will come in two installations. The first tranche will be 80% of the full awarded amount and dispersed upon application approval. The second tranche should comprise the remaining 20% and will be dispersed later in the year.
For more information on funding, payment limits, eligible commodities, application documents, and Farm Service Agencies contacts see Facts for USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) and USDA's CFAP website https://www.farmers.gov/cfap.