Comment deadline June 22 for USDA coronavirus grower relief

Nursery and floriculture crop growers only have a few days left to urge USDA to include their businesses in the CFAP relief program.


In an industry-wide email sent out on June 17, AmericanHort Vice President Craig Regelbrugge shared an update regarding relief programs and the coronavirus. Read his announcement in full below:

“USDA recently published implementation details for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). Relief is now available to many crop and livestock producers, but USDA has not yet included nursery and floriculture crops for direct payment relief for COVID-19-induced losses falling during the period Jan. 15 – April 15, 2020.

Nursery and floriculture crop growers hoping to be included only have a few days left to urge USDA to include us! The deadline is Monday, June 22. While AmericanHort is also working to finalize more general industry comments, we urge you to comment directly. You can do so here. You may also wish to review USDA’s official Notice of Funding Availability and Request for Comments before submitting your own comments.

Finally, because most greenhouse and nursery growers have never had a reason to register with their local USDA Farm Service Agency office, some local FSA offices are suggesting that growers might go ahead and complete some of the generic eligibility paperwork in advance. They should not yet make an application for relief, nor is registering in advance a requirement. USDA maintains a web-based local office locator.”