Are you a farmer or rancher whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program will provide direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.
CFAP assistance is available to livestock producers who have an ownership interest in eligible livestock that have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and face additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets.
Livestock eligible for CFAP include cattle, hogs, and sheep (lambs and yearlings only).
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/livestock for more information on CFAP eligibility and payment details related to livestock.
How to Prepare
USDA will begin taking applications for CFAP on May 26. While the application process has not started, you can start gathering and understanding your farm’s recent sales and inventory.
Your local FSA staff will work with you to apply for the program, and through forms that will ask for the following information:
- Name and address
- Personal information, including your Tax Identification Number
- Farm operating structure
- Adjusted Gross Income compliance certification to ensure eligibility
- Direct deposit to enable payment processing
Please do not send any personal information to USDA without first initiating contact through a phone call. We take your privacy and security of your information very seriously. You can find contact information for your local USDA Service Center at the bottom of the page.
Eligible farmers and ranchers will receive one CFAP payment, drawn from two possible funding sources. The first source of funding is $9.5 billion in appropriated funding provided in the CARES Act and compensates farmers for losses due to price declines that occurred between mid-January 2020, and mid-April 2020 and for specialty crops for product that was shipped and spoiled or unpaid product. The second funding source uses the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to compensate producers for $6.5 billion in losses due to on-going market disruptions.
Beginning May 26, USDA’s Farm Service Agency will be accepting applications from agricultural producers who have suffered losses. While offices are open by phone appointment only, FSA will be working with our agricultural producers by phone and using email and online tools to process applications.
To learn more about CFAP, download the final rule, notice of funding availability, and cost-benefit analysis.
