The USDA expects to offer CFAP 2 with the additional $14 billion in funds Congress allocated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief & Economic Security (CARES) Act to replenish the Commodity Credit Corp., or CCC.

In the spring, the first CFAP made available $19 billion—$16 billion of which was in direct support and $3 billion through the food box program.
As of Aug. 24, USDA had issued $9 billion in payments to 541,073 applicants.

At the time of that announcement in mid-August, only 24 percent of eligible farms had applied for the assistance. The deadline to apply for that first round of CFAP has been extended to Sept. 11.

The second program will correct the arbitrary cutoff of April 15 in terms of considering farmer losses and market disruptions.

Perdue said he estimates that 89 percent of commodities are now covered through CFAP.

Source: Farm Futures

(Washington, D.C., June 4, 2020) –U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today issued the following statement on the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to vacate Dicamba registrations: â€śProducers need all the tools in their toolbox to produce the world’s food, fuel, and fiber, and USDA re-affirms its support for EPA’s science-based process for assessing and managing ecological risks, balanced against the agricultural and societal benefits of crop protection tools. USDA stands ready to assist its federal partners in meeting that goal. Farmers across America have spent hard earned money on previously allowed crop protection tools. I encourage the EPA to use any available flexibilities to allow the continued use of already purchased dicamba products, which are a critical tool for American farmers to combat weeds resistant to many other herbicides, in fields that are already planted. Unfortunately, the Ninth Circuit has chosen to eliminate one of those tools.”

“It’s imminent,” he said of the payment, “although you can define that how you want to in Washington, D.C.”

Perdue said this third tranche of a $16 billion aid package announced will be the last farmers should expect, because success on the trade front should restore farmer incomes in 2020.

Perdue spoke at the annual American Farm Bureau Federation convention last week in Austin.

“We know 2019’s been a pretty tough year,” he told producers. “Farm disasters, unfair trade retaliation, low prices—affected every farm in America. But you kept on keeping on and you persevered.

“In agriculture, we like to grow things and we would rather have trade than aid,” he continued, citing a series of recent administration breakthroughs on trade. “So, let’s sell stuff,” he said. “Our farmers are going to demonstrate to the world that we can grow a safe, healthy product the Chinese will love.”

Sources: Farm Progress, Reuters

It had been unclear if the department planned to offer another tranche of payments, with U.S. and Chinese officials working to finalize a partial trade agreement. USDA has already paid farmers $6.7 billion for their 2019 production, on top of $8.6 million that was provided for 2018.

Perdue said further aid might not be needed in 2020 if the limited U.S.-China agreement is signed.

Source: Politico