Responding to a request from the Agriculture Department for comments about adding commodities that were not initially identified by USDA in the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) rule and also modifying the payment rates for various categories, the National Potato Council wrote Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue today that the department’s calculations on potato losses are wrong and that the industry should be entitled to benefits.

“USDA’s data involved only retail sales – not the segments making up the 70% of the potato industry impacted by COVID-19” and “potatoes have suffered a greater than 5% nationwide price decline due to COVID-19 and should be eligible for Category 1” benefits, the council wrote.