House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota and other House leaders are asking Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue to make some changes in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish says one of the shortcomings is the original CFAP chose to cover livestock sales before the pandemic impacts really hit. He says while it’s good CFAP came out quickly, it does have shortcomings like that that need fixing.

He says all sectors of agriculture ended up feeling the pain of the pandemic and any federal help needs to recognize that and attempt to provide some relief.

Wertish says while the USDA did good job rolling out CFAP, now it’s time to make the needed adjustments in order to help those who are hurting the most from the pandemic.

Besides the shortcomings in CFAP pointed out by the House Ag Chairman, the House leaders also pointed to lingering concerns over staffing levels and existing workload at Farm Service Agency County offices and any delays those could cause in CFAP related assistance.