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Director Chinn pleased CFAP2 covers more farmers
The USDA’s second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, CFAP2, is broader than the first one.
Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn tells Brownfield Ag News she’s pleased to see more cattle producers able to apply in the second round because the dates in the first CFAP excluded many who had already sold their cattle, “This time around the dates changed and so there are more cattle men and women able to participate in CFAP2 this time. So, you know, we raised our concerns and USDA listened to us which was great.”
Chinn says the USDA did a good job of covering agriculture more broadly in this newest round, “There’s always room for improvement and I’m sure no matter who you talk to there’s going to be something that was wrong with it. But, USDA did a good job in trying to address specialty crops in the CFAP2. That was something that had been left out before.” Chinn says it’s hard to know if ag will need more assistance after CFAP2. While farmers have had a good harvest with good prices right now, she says it’s unclear how the virus will react moving into the winter months. Chinn says they need to keep an eye on it and the federal government needs to be responsive to farmers needs moving forward in the pandemic
