More Poultry Producers Eligible For Pandemic Assistance

Aug 25, 2021

Alabama poultry contract producers may be eligible for the newest update to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Applications close Oct. 12. CFAP 2 provides up to $1 billion for payments to contract producers of broilers, pullets, layers and poultry eggs for revenue losses from Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The update, announced Aug. 24, adds eligible breeding stock and eggs of all eligible poultry types produced under contract.

Additional Details

This update means contract producers can now elect to use eligible revenue from the period of Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 27, 2018, instead of the date range in 2019 if it is more representative. Formerly, payments for contract producers were to be based on a comparison of eligible revenue for the periods of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 27, 2019, and Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020.

This change is intended to provide flexibility and make the program more equitable for contract producers who had reduced revenue in 2019 compared to a normal production year. The difference in revenue is then multiplied by 80% to determine a final payment. Payments to contract producers may be factored if total calculated payments exceed the available funding and will be made after the application period closes.

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.