SACRAMENTO, Sept. 18, 2020 – In response to today’s announcement that winegrapes are now eligible for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) funds, California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) President John Aguirre issued the following statement:
“We are extremely pleased with the announcement by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) that winegrape growers are eligible to apply for assistance through the expanded Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. CFAP 2 will provide growers with much-needed financial assistance to help them with the significant and continuing market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to an analysis by Jon Moramarco in June, California winegrape growers could suffer at least $437 million in lost sales from this year’s grape harvest due to COVID-19 related economic disruptions.
“CFAP assistance has been an important goal for CAWG for the past five months. Since May, CAWG and other agricultural organizations have urged USDA to include winegrapes on the list of specialty crops eligible for CFAP funding. In addition, Rep. Mike Thompson’s (D-Napa) leadership and the support of the California Congressional delegation proved invaluable to this effort. We are grateful for Rep. Thompson’s ongoing advocacy for the winegrape industry.”
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