U.S. NEWS – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) has now begun and will run through December 11, 2020.
The USDA will use funds available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and additional commodities. USDA has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based on stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers.
Producers can apply for CFAP 2 as USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FASA) county offices. This program provides financial assistance that gives producers the ability to absorb increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with the associated marketing costs.
CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-rate Crops and Sales Commodities. A complete list of CFAP 2 eligible commodities, payment rates and calculations, as well as application forms, can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. The USDA noted additional commodities are eligible in CFAP 2 that were not eligible in the first iteration of the program.
Producers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak with a USDA employee. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages with their local FSA county office.