The American Farm Bureau Federation is asking the Department of Agriculture to extend the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. In January, an additional $13 billion in assistance was made available to help farmers and ranchers suffering losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The current deadline is this Friday, February 26, but recent severe weather and the suspension of CFAP payments led to challenges and confusion surrounding the application process. In a letter sent Wednesday to Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, AFBF President Zippy Duvall said the recent regulatory freeze on pending executive actions, though common, "has created confusion for farmers and ranchers with respect to eligibility and the application process."

The letter also notes severe weather, which impacted travel conditions and created broadband disruptions, may have also impacted farmers' ability to complete the application process. AFBF is asking USDA to extend the deadline to apply for assistance by at least 30 days after the regulatory review is completed.

Click Here to read the entire letter sent by the AFBF.

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