JEFFERSON COUNTY, IL — A $19 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to help farmers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic was unveiled by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Friday.

Under the program, USDA will provide $16 billion in direct payments to farmers and ranchers. The bulk of the money — $9.6 billion — is designated for livestock producers. The program also includes $3.9 billion for row crop producers, $2.1 billion for specialty crops producers and $500 million for other crops.

Vice President of the Jefferson County Farm Bureau John Howard says there are a lot of details left to be revealed in the coming days.

Howard says to qualify a certain commodity has to have experienced a 5% decline in price since the first of the year.