Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said more details would be released on a Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2.0 soon, but the agriculture industry is still awaiting the details. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles thinks the goal from the USDA is to create a simpler program for farmers. “Our belief is it will be some form of revenue model. I think the USDA wants to get to a simpler format that does away with the bureaucracy and basically allows growers to apply,” explains Quarles. “If you’ve been injured and you can prove it, you’ll get relief.” There’s a gap in the current CFAP sign-up for specialty crops compared to other commodities and Quarles says USDA wants to address them. “For the fruit and vegetable industry, it’s an entirely new world. To some degree, everyone was shooting in the dark at the beginning. Now, I think better informed decisions are being made.”
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.