The deadline for Iowa farmers and ranchers to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) is this Friday.

Keokuk County Farm Service Agency Executive Director Julie Fitzpatrick says the second program is expansion of the first round of COVID-19 relief issued by the USDA, “If they (farmers and ranchers) haven’t applied already, they need to apply.  I think there are some producers who didn’t apply for the first CFAP program [that] are maybe under the assumption they do not qualify for this go around, but that is not the case.” 

Fitzpatrick says in the first CFAP program, over 52,800 Iowa farmers and ranchers applied with over $94.8 million in pandemic relief dispersed. She says they’ve already surpassed that dollar amount in the second program, “I think we’re paying a little more this time, but we’re also seeing more producers eligible for this program than they were the first time.”

Producers have several options for applying for the CFAP 2 program by the Dec. 11 deadline. Producers can find eligible commodities, payment rates, calculations and options to apply on farmers.gov/cfap.