Northern Plains Potato Growers Association President Donavon Johnson says the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program doesn’t offer much assistance for potato growers. At issue is the three eligibility categories. “When we look at CFAP, there are three categories in which farmers must experience a loss. Potatoes don’t qualify for the first category,” explains Johnson. “We don’t understand that. We’ve been trying to work with the USDA to understand why. Potatoes should qualify on the seed and process side for the first category.” Johnson says there’s confusion on the remaining two categories as well. Ultimately, he says the program may not be relevant for potato growers. The North Dakota Farm Service Agency is looking into more guidance for the potato industry. When it comes to the USDA’s potato purchases, Johnson says it is having some impact for the U.S. potato industry. “However, we have identified 1.5 billion pounds of potatoes that don’t have a home. That includes process, fresh and seed potatoes from last year.”
News Categories
Latest RRFN Podcasts
Subscribe to RRFN
Get a weekly digest from RRFN to stay up-to-date on all the latest news in agriculture.