USDA reopens applications for coronavirus food assistance program

The United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency reopened signups for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 as part of the Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative.

The initial CFAP 2 signup ended on Dec. 11, 2020 but will be open for at least 60 days beginning April 5, 2021 for producers to apply or make modifications to existing CFAP 2 applications.

The program provides direct financial relief to producers due to market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19, according to a USDA news release.

“Most of the crops and livestock raised in Minnesota including many of them raised in our area, are eligible commodities for this program,” Kayla Mattson, County Executive Director for FSA in Wadena, Hubbard, Aitkin, Itasca, Cass and Crow Wing counties, said in the release.

Row crops, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, aquaculture and more are eligible for the CFAP 2, including the recent addition of pullets and turfgrass sod. Producers can visit farmers.gov/cfap to review eligible commodities and learn about the payment structure for each.

CFAP 2 is a separate program from the first iteration of the program and interested producers must complete a new application to be eligible for payment for CFAP 2, according to the release.

Mattson said producers are encouraged to call the Wadena County FSA office at 218-631-2876 ext. 2 or the Crow Wing County FSA office at 218-829-5965 ext. 2 for guidance on completing an application. A call center is also available at 877-508-8364 with a USDA employee.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act authorizes an increase in CFAP 1 payment rates for cattle. Cattle producers with approved CFAP 1 applications will automatically receive these payments and do not need to submit a new application, according to the release. Producers may be asked for additional information depending on how they filed the original application.

This act also authorized additional CFAP assistance of $20 per acre for producers of eligible CFAP 2 flat-rate or price trigger commodities, as the release stated. FSA will automatically issue payments to eligible producers based on the eligible acres included on their CFAP 2 applications. Eligible producers do not need to submit a new CFAP 2 application.

FSA has also begun payment processing applications filed as part of the CFAP Additional Assistance program in the following categories:

• Applications filed for pullets and turfgrass sod;

• A formula correction for row-crop producer applications to allow producers with a non-actual production history insurance policy to use 100% of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option benchmark yield in the calculation;

• Sales commodity applications revised to include insurance indemnities, non-insured crop disaster assistance program payments and wildfire and hurricane indemnity program plus payments.

Additional payments for swine producers and contract growers under CFAP Additional Assistance remain on hold and are likely to require modifications, according to the release. However, FSA will continue to accept applications from interested producers.
Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email and other digital tools. Because of the pandemic, some USDA Service Centers are open to limited visitors. Contact your Service Center to set up an in-person or phone appointment.

More information related to USDA’s response and relief for producers can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus .