There is still money available for Wisconsin producers through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). If you have yet to apply for funds, Wisconsin FSA Executive Director Sandy Chalmers encourages you to do so before the August 28th deadline. USDA is making available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production, and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.
According to Chalmers, a large amount of Wisconsin farmers have taken full advantage of CFAP and are seeing good chunks of change funneled their way. In Wisconsin, FSA has paid out roughly $374 million after receiving 14,123 applications. Nationally, Chalmers says, USDA has received CFAP applications from 442,000 producers.
Throughout the application process, which has been going on for about two months, Wisconsin has continuously ranked in the top five in terms of CFAP involvement. Chalmers says that tells her that producers in the state responded very quickly when the signup opened and have taken full advantage of the resources made available. “When you break down that $374 million in Wisconsin,” Chalmers explains, “milk comes out at the top with $254 million.” Of all the commodities, dairy has seen the largest amount of payouts in Wisconsin and the state leads the nation in dairy payments. Chalmers says if you do some quick math, take the $254 million in dairy payments and divide that by the 5,300 dairy applications. “That comes out to about $50,000 on average for our dairy operations.”
If you would like to signup for CFAP, click right here to be redirected to the state’s FSA website. Jut be sure to apply before August 28th. There’s money on the table and it’s up to you to claim it.
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