Debate continues in Washington on a second COVID aid program and remains divided. Meanwhile, Minnesota lawmakers are asking the USDA to fix the formula for calculating CFAP payments in the first aid package. During Farmfest Virtual 2020 Senator Amy Klobachar said farmers have expressed frustration that the payments from the CARES Act are not fair and payment caps are unrealistic.

Klobuchar hopes COVID Aid 2 will be more equitable and that funding levels for agriculture will be closer to the House bill.

House Ag Committee Chairman Collin Peterson has put a fix in the HEROES Act to make the CFAP payments more equitable, especially for livestock producers. Some cattle producers got $33 per head while others got from $100 to $200.

So far 43-percent or $6.8 billion of the CFAP dollars have gone out to producers but signup is starting to slow with the program deadline approaching at the end of the month. Some of this is also tied to the payment caps.