CFAP Has Ample Funding; Packing Plants Continue To Increase Capacity
An important message was shared during the Secretary of Agriculture Livestock Call Tuesday morning.
“There is ample funding for all producers who qualify for the CFAP funds,” said the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Amanda DeJong.
During the call, DeJong outlined some specifics about how the program will work. The payouts will be limited to 80 percent of any funds a producer qualifies for, with the possibility of the remaining 20 percent to be paid later.
“The 80 percent is more than enough to cover all qualifying claims,” said DeJong.
The application for funds through the CFAP program is available online and includes a downloadable Excel spreadsheet calculator to help estimate the payment farmers may receive. The application and other CFAP resources are online,
farmers.gov/cfap.
Offices are accepting appointments by phone only and will not be open to the public, said DeJong, though many offices will begin a phased return of employees. Producers will need to call to schedule a time if they need to work with their local FSA office.
Livestock Update
Livestock producers continue to receive positive news as packing plants work to close the gap between a backlog of animals available for processing and a diminished supply of processed meat products. Pork production last week was at 92% of production compared to this time last year, and extra weekend slaughter also helped, though there continues to be a glut of hogs carrying as much as nine pounds extra per animal.
Cattle processing has also increased and now stands at 86% of production compared to 2019. The increase comes amid a nationwide two-week backlog of cattle, more than one million head that should have made their way to the packing plants, but remain in feed yards or otherwise unmarketed.
Turkey production was expected to see diminished processing in June but has now been shifted to August, which is a good sign that the situation has improved for that sector.
The Agribusiness Association of Iowa is an invited member of the Livestock call, and association staff participates each week. Both AAI staff and AAI members also take part in the Agriculture Secretary’s Crop Production Call each Thursday. Updates from the Crop Production Call are provided in the Take Five.
