Just like our readers in the northern U.S., new rules and regs have been frozen for the Biden administration to review. This freeze pauses $2.3 billion in supplemental Coronavirus Food Assistance Program [CFAP] payments for producers that were announced on January 15.
The deets: The leftover funds from CFAP 1 and 2 would loop in contract poultry and pork producers, among others, and true-up previous payments.
A temporary timeout: Senate Ag Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) was supportive of the pause, noting that CFAP funds were supposed to address supply chain issues, PPE for farm workers and processors, and assistance to smaller producers.
Bottom line: As things thaw out on determining how to appropriate the leftover funds, eyes are still on the $13 billion of ag aid in CFAP #3 that has yet to be doled out. Implementation of this next round of CFAP is still expected to take a hot minute.