The states of Delaware, Maryland and Mississippi recently announced assistance programs for contract chicken farmers that experienced revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Delaware Contract Poultry Grower Grant Assistance Program will compensate contract chicken farmers who had an active grower contract in force on facilities in the state on March 15 and did not have business interruption coverage for the losses covered by the grant program. For chicken farmers meeting those requirements, the program will grant $1,000 per house, up to a maximum of $5,000 per farm. The program would also compensate growers that depopulated birds. The application deadline is December 1. The program is funded at $10 million, which is derived from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
The Delaware program can be found here.
The Maryland Farmer COVID-19 Relief Program will also provide grants of $1,000 per house for contract chicken farmers. The program would grant $1,000 per poultry house, also capped at five houses, for contract poultry growers that experienced revenue loss related to COVID-19. Like Delaware, the program would also compensate growers for depopulation. The application deadline is December 1. The program is funded at $10 million, which is derived from the CARES Act.
The Maryland program can be found here.
The Mississippi Poultry Farmer Stabilization Grant Fund was included within the Mississippi Agriculture Stabilization Act (MASA), which was signed into law on October 9, 2020. The program, funded at $3 million, is a self-certification program in which the farmer substantiates their losses as close to the dollar amount as possible. Funds are disbursed on a first-come, first-serve basis. The covered period is March 1 through December 30, 2020.
The Mississippi program can be found here.
Currently, contract chicken farmers are ineligible for federal COVID-19-specific assistance under the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP).
