CFAP-2 to reach more farmers who were left out of previous aid program. Apply now through December 11th

Thousands of farmers struggled to keep their businesses running this growing season as farm relief programs proved unworkable for most small-scale, diverse, and value-added producers. But additional aid is on the horizon.

USDA is launching a second round of COVID-19 relief payments that will hopefully reach more farmers who were left out of previous aid programs. Last week, USDA began releasing details of a new version of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP-2), which will provide $13.21 billion in aid to farmers over the next few months to partially compensate for losses incurred between April 1, 2020-August 31, 2020 (or from April 16th for livestock) where prices, markets, and supply chains have been impacted by the pandemic.

CFAP-2 is a separate program but retains most of the elements of CFAP-1 that closed on September 11, 2020. However, CFAP-2 includes significant improvements that are certain to benefit many farmers who weren’t eligible for or compensated fairly by the original program. Eligible commodities for CFAP-2 include row crops, wool, livestock, specialty livestock, dairy, specialty crops, floricutlure and nursery crops, aquaculture, broilers and eggs, and tobacco. Read full details at USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

CFAP-2 offers new payment options that are more accessible for different growers. For example, the new revenue based option doesn’t require a documented price loss, but is simply based on a farm’s 2019 revenue, which is likely to be a better fit for smaller, diversified, and direct-market growers whose crops were left out in CFAP-1.

Apply

Applications are being accepted from September 21 through December 11, 2020. USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers multiple options for producers to apply for CFAP-2:

• Apply online
• Manually complete a download application
• Use the application generator & payment calculator (Excel) to input information specific to your operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form
• Producers of commodities with flat-rate payments or price trigger crops with acreage reports have the option to complete their application by working directly with their local Farm Service Agency or online through the CFAP-2 Application Portal.

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