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Source: USDA, 8/11/20
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that
additional commodities are covered by the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
(CFAP) in response to public comments and data. Additionally, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline to apply for the
program to September 11th, and producers with approved applications will
receive their final payment. After reviewing over 1,700 responses, even more
farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity for assistance to help keep
operations afloat during these tough times.“President Trump is standing with America’s farmers and ranchers to ensure they get through this pandemic and continue to produce enough food and fiber to feed America and the world. That is why he authorized this $16 billion of direct support in the CFAP program and today we are pleased to add additional commodities eligible to receive much needed assistance,” said Secretary Perdue. “CFAP is just one of the many ways USDA is helping producers weather the impacts of the pandemic. From deferring payments on loans to adding flexibilities to crop insurance and reporting deadlines, USDA has been leveraging many tools to help producers.” Background:USDA collected comments and supporting data for consideration of
additional commodities through June 22, 2020. The following additional
commodities are now eligible for CFAP:
- Specialty
Crops -
aloe leaves, bananas, batatas, bok choy, carambola (star fruit),
cherimoya, chervil (french parsley), citron, curry leaves, daikon, dates,
dill, donqua (winter melon), dragon fruit (red pitaya), endive, escarole,
filberts, frisee, horseradish, kohlrabi, kumquats, leeks, mamey sapote,
maple sap (for maple syrup), mesculin mix, microgreens, nectarines,
parsley, persimmons, plantains, pomegranates, pummelos, pumpkins, rutabagas,
shallots, tangelos, turnips/celeriac, turmeric, upland/winter cress, water
cress, yautia/malanga, and yuca/cassava.
- Non-Specialty
Crops and Livestock - liquid eggs, frozen eggs
and all sheep. Only lambs and yearlings (sheep less than two years old)
were previously eligible.
- Aquaculture -
catfish, crawfish, largemouth bass and carp sold live as foodfish, hybrid
striped bass, red drum, salmon, sturgeon, tilapia, trout,
ornamental/tropical fish, and recreational sportfish.
- Nursery
Crops and Flowers - nursery crops and cut flowers.
Other changes to CFAP include:
- Seven commodities – onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint, walnuts and watermelons – are now eligible for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability (CARES) Act funding for sales losses. Originally, these commodities were only eligible for payments on marketing adjustments.
- Correcting
payment rates for onions (green), pistachios, peppermint, spearmint,
walnuts, and watermelons.
Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (PDF, 248
KB) and Final Rule Correction (PDF, 232 KB) and
at www.farmers.gov/cfap. Producers Who Have Applied:To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved
applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. The Farm Service
Agency (FSA) will automatically issue the remaining 20 percent of the
calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who apply
for CFAP will receive 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the
payment limit, when their applications are approved. Applying for CFAP:Producers, especially those who have not worked with FSA
previously, are recommended to call 877-508-8364 to begin the application
process. An FSA staff member can help producers start their application during
the phone call. On farmers.gov/cfap, producers can:
- Download
the AD-3114 application form and manually complete the form to submit to
their local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery
to their local office or office drop box.
- Complete
the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment
Calculator. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information
specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate
the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to
their local USDA Service Center.
- If
producers have login credentials known as eAuthentication, they can use
the online CFAP Application Portal to certify eligible commodities online,
digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service
Center.
All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted
gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap.
For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file. All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment.
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