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STEUBENVILLE -- COVID-19 has hit the agricultural industry hard, notes Erika Lyon, agriculture and natural resources educator, Ohio State University Extension Jefferson and Harrison counties
Market prices for major commodities have fallen sharply since COVID-19 reached the United States in early January. Milk and cattle prices have declined more than 25 percent, and corn and hog prices are down 19 percent. At one time during the pandemic, these prices had dropped more than 40 percent. Early projections suggest total net farm income could be down 20 percent or more in 2020.
There have been many efforts through federal and state legislation to offset the impact of COVID-19. The details for one such program targeted to help agricultural producers were released recently. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will provide $19 billion dollars of financial assistance nationally for losses experienced as a result of the pandemic.
"So what does this mean for our farmers here in Jefferson and Harrison counties," Lyon noted. "First, there is assistance for farmers who raise corn, soybeans, oats, cattle, sheep, hogs or produce milk. Additionally, producers raising certain vegetable and fruit specialty crops also are eligible. The program is designed to help soften the drastic loss of revenue received by farmers when crops and livestock were marketed from mid-January through mid-April. It also provides additional funding to help off-set on-going market disruptions," she added.
Commodities that did not suffer a 5 percent-or-greater price decline from mid-January to mid-April are not eligible for CFAP. Specifically, this includes sheep more than 2 years old, eggs/layers, alfalfa and forage crops.
Lyon continued, "Second, farmers do not have to previously participated in the federal farm program to take part in CFAP. I know many of our dairy and beef producers may have not participated in the federal farm program. My advice to you -- now you should strongly consider it."
As examples of the help that will be offered, an eligible dairy producer will receive $4.71 per hundred weight of milk for their milk production from the first quarter of the year plus an additional national adjustment payment. Farmers with corn and soybeans in storage may be eligible for two payment rates together averaging 33.5 cents per bushel for corn and 47.5 cents per bushel for soybeans if they had inventory subject to price risk held as of Jan. 15, according to Lyon.
For cattle marketed from Jan. 15 to April 15, producers are eligible for a one-time payment ranging from $92 to $214 per head. Livestock producers also are eligible for an additional payment of $33 per head for cattle on the farm between April 16 and May 14. Hog and sheep producers also are eligible for payments for the same time periods as well.
Eligible producers can sign up for CFAP through Aug. 28. The program is administered by the Farm Service Agency office and the local Hopedale FSA, open Mondays and Fridays, can be reached at (740) 937-2500 or the New Philadelphia FSA, open Monday through Friday, at (330) 339-5585 for sign-up details. The FSA also has released a CFAP spreadsheet for farmers to complete from the comfort of their home farm office. Lyon said everyone will get their application in for this program who applies -- it is not first-come, first-served.
Complete details about the CFAP program can be found at the FSA's website at www.farmers.gov/cfap. "Our OSU Extension Farm Office team also has authored a bulletin discussing the CFAP program more in depth," Lyon noted of what can be accessed at https://go.osu.edu/CFAP-2020.
Lyon can mail or e-mail a copy as well. Inquiries can be directed to her at lyon.194@osu.edu or by calling her at the Jefferson County Extension office at (740) 461-6136. "If you need assistance with the application, contact your local FSA office and staff there can walk you through the application process. They also can assist with determining eligibility," she added.