Alabama Dept. of Agriculture gives more details on COVID-19 relief for farmers

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries on Tuesday announced more information for members of Alabama’s agriculture industry looking to receive the financial relief announced last week.

As Yellowhammer News reported, Governor Kay Ivey has assigned $26 million of Alabama’s CARES Act money for a program called the Alabama Agricultural Stabilization Program (AASP).

The governor divided the funds into categories designed to help seven different sectors of agriculture in Alabama. The Department of Agriculture, which is administering the program, has now given more details on when each group can begin applying and how much they can receive.

Those who process meat, catfish, fruit and vegetables will have their relief programs come online first. Applications will open August 24, and each type of processor has been assigned a point of contact at the Department.

Cattle producers can begin applying for relief on September 8, followed by nursery growers on September 15 and poultry farmers on October 1.

The department says to monitor its website for more information on the application process.

The department summarized the seven aspects of AASP as follows:

1. Direct Payment Business Stabilization Grants to Cattle Producers – $10.5 million for feeder and fed cattle sold between April 16, 2020, and May 15, 2020, and dairy producers that qualified for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
2. Meat Processing Plant Reimbursement Program – $1.5 million for reimbursements of up to $50,000 for existing processors to expand capacity to meet increased demand caused by COVID-19.
3. Poultry Farmer Stabilization Grant Program – $4 million to assist poultry farmers that have experienced an extended downtime (longer than 21 days) between flocks and have not been otherwise compensated.
4. Catfish Processor Reimbursement Program – $500,000 to reimburse catfish processing plants for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020, and July 31, 2020.
5. Fruit & Vegetable Processor Reimbursement Program – $500,000 to reimburse fruit and vegetable processing plants for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020, and July 31, 2020. Funds may also be used to reimburse the processors for the purchase of equipment such as washing stations, flash freezers, and packaging equipment to expand production to meet increased demand caused by COVID-19.
6. State Supplemental CFAP Grant Program – $8 million for a state supplemental payment to producers that qualified for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). The exact percentage to be used for the state payment will be determined after all state supplemental CFAP applications have been received and USDA’s CFAP data is finalized.
7. Nursery Grower Reimbursement Program – $1 million to reimburse licensed nursery growers for purchases of PPE, disinfectants, workstation dividers, COVID-19 testing for employees, etc. to combat COVID-19 made between March 13, 2020, and July 31, 2020. This program will not apply for nursery growers that are compensated through the State Supplemental CFAP Program for their nursery losses.

In applying for relief, the point of contact for meat processors will be Lynn Blue ([email protected]), for catfish processors will be Patrick Moody ([email protected]), and for fruit & vegetable processors will be Don Wambles ([email protected]).

Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95