The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which offers financial relief to eligible specialty crop growers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, gets mixed reviews from sweet potato growers across the country.
Under the program, sweet potato producers are eligible for CFAP payments for losses in two of three categories: those who had produce shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, and those who had shipments that did not leave the farm between Jan. 15 and April 15, 2020.
According to the regulations, specialty crops in inventory or in storage facilities that could be sold after April 15 are not eligible for CFAP.
On July 21, Mississippi congressman Trent Kelly told a USDA committee that sweet potato farmers in his district who lost contracts due to the pandemic were faced with destroying their remaining 2019 crop without any compensation to make room for the new fall fresh crop.
Marshall Bailey, partner at Bruce Sweet Potato Inc., Bruce, Miss., said “the requirements are more strict that I would have liked due to the nature of how we market our crop and have to store inventory year round.”
Joe Edmondson, co-owner of Topashaw Farms in Vardaman, Miss., didn’t apply for compensation.
“We might have been eligible,” said Edmondson, “but we never had to shut down and we didn’t lose enough days to take advantage of it.”
Matt Garber, partner at Garber Farms, Iota, La., also sees sweet potato growers as lucky through COVID-19.
“We have a stable item that holds well in storage, so sweet potatoes should not have major claims to the CFAP program,” said Garber. “I’m glad the program exists for those who need it.”
Rene Simon, director of the Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission in Baton Rouge, said CFAP did help a few Louisiana growers who had sweet potatoes ready to be shipped but the processor could not take them due to the shutdown.
“For most growers though, it did not help,” said Simon.
Rebecca Scott, grower accounting and marketing director for Nash Produce, based in Nashville, N.C., said she’s thankful for the leadership that supports U.S. farmers and producers.
“These funds have helped so many individuals during this difficult time and we hope the assistance will help all applicants continue to provide fresh, affordable and local products for years to come,” Scott said.
For more information about the CFAP program, visit farmers.gov/cfap or contact your local FSA office.
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