Loeffler: USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Now Accepting Applications

New USDA Program Geared Toward Providing Relief for Farmers, Ranchers

ATLANTA – U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) today announced that the application period for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is now open. Created through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the program will provide $16 billion in direct payments to American farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“Georgia farmers and ranchers continue to work around the clock every day of the year to put food on our tables, despite facing extraordinary challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Senator Loeffler. “Our state is among the largest food, cotton and textile producers in the world, and our spirit of determination and resiliency will pull us through this crisis. I’m hopeful this new program will keep our food supply chain strong, and I applaud President Trump and Secretary Perdue for taking action to ensure farmers receive this much-needed lifeline.”
 
The CFAP program is eligible to producers who have suffered a 5-percent-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency will be accepting applications through August 28, 2020. Click here for more details. 
 
While Loeffler believes the CFAP program will provide critical relief for an essential sector of Georgia’s economy, she remains concerned that the eligible timeframe for losses will preclude many Georgia farmers from immediately receiving aid. As farmers in Georgia continue to harvest or prepare to do so, Loeffler will work to ensure that the ramifications of the COVID-19 outbreak are addressed for the Georgia agriculture community.
 
A key pillar of Loeffler’s USA Restoring & Igniting the Strength of our Economy (USA RISE) Plan is “Grown in the USA.” This part of the framework focuses on addressing the losses incurred by the agriculture sector due to coronavirus, holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable to fulfill phase one of President Trump’s trade deal, establishing efficient links between farmers and food banks, and ensuring imports of agricultural products do not crowd out domestic production of fruit, vegetables and other U.S. crops.