WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today announced that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved his request to include crawfish in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
CFAP began to provide direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19, though, crawfish had previously been ineligible for the program. Cassidy and other members of the Louisiana delegation wrote to USDA Sec. Sonny Perdue in July requesting that crawfish be added to CFAP.
“Crawfish are essential to Louisiana’s economy and culture. Like many, crawfish producers have suffered during the pandemic. Including them in CFAP allows them access to relief that they need to get through these unprecedented times,” said Dr. Cassidy.
“President Trump is standing with America’s farmers and ranchers to ensure they get through this pandemic and continue to produce enough food and fiber to feed America and the world. That is why he authorized this $16 billion of direct support in the CFAP program and today we are pleased to add additional commodities eligible to receive much needed assistance,” said Secretary Perdue. “CFAP is just one of the many ways USDA is helping producers weather the impacts of the pandemic. From deferring payments on loans to adding flexibilities to crop insurance and reporting deadlines, USDA has been leveraging many tools to help producers.”
Crawfish producers must apply for assistance. On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:
- Download the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to their local office or office drop box.
- Complete the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center.
- If producers have login credentials known as eAuthentication, they can use the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center.
All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.
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