New Mexico Agriculture Secretary encourages local producers to apply

LAS CRUCES – It’s not too late for New Mexico farmers and ranchers to apply for financial relief as a result of impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline to apply for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is Friday, Aug. 28.

Applications from New Mexico producers should be submitted through USDA Farm Service Agency New Mexico offices. Contact information for local offices may be found at https://www.farmers.gov/cfap by scrolling to the bottom of the page.

“We want to make sure New Mexico producers are aware of this much-needed program,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “We have all endured challenging times during this pandemic, and farmers and ranchers are resilient. They have and will continue to provide food and other resources for New Mexicans. We encourage producers to reach out to our partners at the USDA FSA New Mexico offices to start the process.”

USDA-FSA will assist individuals with completing their application via phone, email, fax, mail or online tools. Also, a CFAP call center has been established for producers who would like additional one-on-one support with the application process. Please call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee.

“New Mexico agriculture has endured hardships in the past, and we know our farmers and ranchers are facing a tough time now,” said USDA-FSA New Mexico Executive Director Michael S. White. “We are making every effort to provide much needed support as quickly as possible. The CFAP financial assistance gives New Mexico farmers and ranchers the ability to absorb some of their lost sales and increased marketing costs associated with the economic havoc caused by the global pandemic. We strongly encourage all farmers and ranchers to apply for these funds to help support their operation.”

While New Mexico has 25,044 farms and ranches as reported in the most recent Agriculture Census, only 2,356 applications have been received as of July 15. According to the USDA-FSA New Mexico office, over $61 million in payments have been disbursed to New Mexico producers as of July 15.