CFAP Aid for Potatoes Pt 2
I’m Bob Larson. CFAP, or the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program is apparently leaving a large segment of our ag producers out, and needs to be adjusted in order to provide relief for many who find themselves on the ropes during this pandemic.
National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says the USDA started out with incomplete data for potato growers …
QUARLES … “It didn’t look at food service. It didn’t look at seed potatoes. It only looked at wholesale transactions largely serving grocery stores and that’s a comparatively small portion of our business.”
And for potatoes, Quarles says that isn’t nearly enough …
QUARLES … “That was a portion of the industry that was doing fairly well as everyone decided to, not decide, everyone was forced to stay home due to the pandemic. And so, the 70% of our business which is food service as well as the seed potato side of things, they were suffering greatly and that’s where you saw all those headlines of growers giving away their potatoes and trying to minimize food waste.”
So, Quarles says they came up with a much broader, and more accurate picture …
QUARLES … “The USDA’s determination was not in keeping with what we were seeing out in the countryside, certainly. And so, over the last month we’ve done that comprehensive study and we think the data is on our side, and now we just want our growers to be eligible for some relief.”
Tune in tomorrow for more … on making the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program more inclusive.
