COVID-19 Resources for Farmers and Ranchers

COVID-19 resources farmers

UPDATE, 03 SEPTEMBER:  Oct. 12 is the deadline for all eligible producers to apply for or modify applications for USDA’s CFAP 2 program. CFAP 2, short for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, assists producers who faced market disruptions in 2020 due to COVID-19. The program is part of USDA’s broader Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

Several updates have been made to the program, including:

  • Contract producers, and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities, can now elect to use eligible revenue from January 1, 2018, through December 27, 2018, instead of that date range in 2019, if it is more representative.
  • Grass seed has also been added as an eligible sales commodity.
  • Both contract producers of eligible livestock and poultry and producers of specialty crops and other sales-based commodities are eligible to apply. Contract producers of broilers, pullets, layers, chicken eggs, turkeys, hogs and pigs, ducks, geese, pheasants, and quail may be eligible for assistance.

A complete list of all eligible sales-based commodities can be found at farmers.gov/cfap2/commodities.

For more information, or to apply, or modify an existing application, visit www.farmers.gov/coronavirus/pandemic-assistance/cfap2.

UPDATE, 23 JULY: Swine, chicken, and turkey producers who suffered losses due to insufficient access to processing facilities during the coronavirus pandemic can receive financial relief through USDA’s Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program, which provides financial relief for those losses and costs associated with depopulation due to COVID-19.  September 17 is the deadline to apply.

UPDATE, 18 MAY: Last week, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. hit its lowest level in 14 months, with new cases and hospitalizations continuing to decline. Hopefully, the pandemic will soon be in the nation’s rearview mirror.

However, since the pandemic’s economic fallout will likely be with us a while longer, USDA is extending its programs intended to help ag producers pick up the pieces.

Specifically, USDA has extended the deadline for signups for the CFAP-2 program. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and producers impacted by COVID-19 market disruptions.

The original application period for CFAP-2 was September 21 through December 11, 2020. USDA reopened CFAP 2 signup for all eligible producers beginning April 5, 2021. A deadline for signup will be announced at a later date. For more details, or to apply, visit https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance/cfap.

Commodities eligible for the current Coronavirus Food Assistance Program signup period include those that were originally eligible for CFAP-2 and commodities included in CFAP Additional Assistance. Cattle producers who applied for CFAP 1 will automatically receive additional payments.

CFAP-2 is one of several USDA programs intended to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. For information on the others, visit https://www.farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance.

UPDATE, 08 OCTOBER: The second round of the USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP-2) will take applications through December 11.  The program now covers additional commodities not included in the original version.  Funds are again expected to deplete quickly, so early application is encouraged.

UPDATE, 22 MAY: The USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will begin accepting applications May 26, and continue through August 28.  The program provides direct relief to farming and ranching operations that have faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.

UPDATE, 05 MAY: The SBA is now again accepting new applications from agricultural businesses only for its EIDL program.

The ongoing COVID-19 outbreak impacts farmers and ranchers, like everyone else, in their individual and family health as well as in their business operations.  On top of that, the unique nature of agricultural enterprises introduces any number of additional considerations.

Here are links to collections of resources, assembled by other organizations, to help agricultural producers navigate these new challenges:

We’ll be updating the Kerr Center’s own page of links to these and other COVID-19 resources as the situation develops.  Please check back!

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