UPDATE, 03 June 2021: USDA is still accepting applications to CFAP-2. Farmers’ Legal Action Group continues to update its guides to CFAP-2 and other USDA pandemic assistance programs; check their website for the latest releases.
UPDATE, 11 August: The USDA has announced that the deadline to apply for CFAP has been extended to September 11. Also, the program now covers nearly 60 additional commodities. For details, visit USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program page.
UPDATE, 12 June: The Farmers’ Legal Action Group has published a free Farmers’ Guide to the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
UPDATE, 08 June: USDA is holding webinars to help explain how to apply to CFAP for different kinds of operations:
- June 9: Specialty Crops
- June 11: Dairy & Non-Specialty Crops
- June 16: Non-Specialty Crops & Livestock
- June 18: FSA Programs in the Time of Coronavirus
(All webinars start at 2 P.M. Central Time, and are archived for later viewing for those unable to attend.)
***
Has your been farming or ranching operation been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic?
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will provide direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.
CFAP will provide vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant market costs.
Beginning May 26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the Farm Service Agency (FSA), will be accepting applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.
Livestock eligible for CFAP include cattle, lambs, yearlings and hogs. The total payment will be calculated using the sum of the producer’s number of livestock sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020, multiplied by the payment rates per head, and the highest inventory number of livestock between April 16 and May 14, 2020, multiplied by the payment rate per head.
For eligible specialty crops, the total payment will be based on the volume of production sold between January 15 and April 15, 2020; the volume of production shipped, but unpaid; and the number of acres for which harvested production did not leave the farm or mature product destroyed or not harvested during that same time period, and which have not and will not be sold. Specialty crops include, but are not limited to, almonds, beans, broccoli, sweet corn, lemons, iceberg lettuce, spinach, squash, strawberries and tomatoes.
Additional information and application forms can be found at farmers.gov/cfap. Producers of all eligible commodities will apply through their local FSA office.
As usual with such programs, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition offers a free, detailed guide to the application process.
