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Missouri Cattlemen’s pleased with CFAP2 rollout
The second round of Coronavirus Food Assistance Program applications are now open, and the executive vice president of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association says USDA learned a thing or two from last time.
“This time they [USDA], I think they’ve done a good job rolling it out, communicating with stakeholders and also making it make sense,” he said.
Mike Deering said Missouri Cattlemen’s was critical of the first CFAP payments because of the confusion among county Farm Service Agency offices and the way payment amounts were decided on.
Deering said the application process and specifics outlining what qualifies for payments have been much clearer this time.
Producers will receive $55 per head for eligible beef cattle with a limit of $250,000 per person or entity for all eligible commodities.
Deering tells Brownfield while no disaster relief payment can fully make up for losses suffered by cattle producers, the payments do provide support.
“This is not a cure-all, it’s not going to make people whole,” he said. “But maybe they can make a farm payment, maybe they can make a feed payment, maybe they can continue on and not have to face the difficult decision of staying in or getting out.”
But Deering said producers don’t want to become accustomed to receiving relief payments.
CFAP’s second round of payment applications closes December 11th.