U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced last week that three Eastern Idaho farmers: Merrill Hanny, Roger Burke, and Robert Sollis, have paid a total of $500,000 to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting fraudulent Coronavirus Food Assistance Program applications, a program intended to provide direct support to farmers and ranchers to offset losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Farm Service Agency has approved more than $7 billion in payments to producers in the second round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

USDA is extending the deadline to apply for CFAP to September 11th and added eligible commodities that are covered by the program.

Farmer sentiment improved slightly in May after falling sharply in both March and April, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.