The application deadline has been extended to Friday, Sept. 11 and more eligible commodities have been added to those covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), according to a release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The $16 billion in direct support “is just one of the many ways USDA is helping producers weather the impacts of the pandemic,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

“From deferring payments on loans to adding flexibilities to crop insurance and reporting deadlines, USDA has been leveraging many tools to help producers,” Perdue added.

The following additional commodities are now eligible for CFAP.

—Specialty Crops: Aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates, dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole, filberts, frisée, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote, maple sap (for maple syrup), me...