Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1

Producers who were interested in filling out the CFAP 1 application manually could download the application form, AD-3114, to fill out and return to the FSA office at their local USDA Service Center. If producers needed more space, they could use the AD-3114A continuation form. The AD-3114 application form and AD-3114A continuation form were also available in Spanish.

Instructions for form AD-3114 and AD-3114 continuation were available for producers to reference when filling out both forms. Instructions for form AD-3114 and AD-3114 continuation were also available in Spanish.

Our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator is an Excel workbook that allowed producers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the CFAP 1 application form, which could then be printed, signed, and submitted to the FSA office at the local USDA Service Center. USDA updated this Payment Calculator on August 17 to include nearly 60 recently added commodities that were eligible for CFAP 1.

Microsoft Excel is required to use this workbook. Please click the workbook link and select the option to save to your computer. Internet Explorer users, you may experience an error if you try to open the workbook online instead of saving. Once saved, you will need to open the file on your computer and enable editing and/or enable macros at the top of the Excel sheet to input information specific to your operation. A video preview with more information is available here.

CFAP 1 payments were eligible to producers of non-specialty crops who suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline over a specified time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who face increased marketing costs for inventories.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/non-specialty for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to non-specialty crops.

CFAP 1 payments were eligible to wool producers who suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline over a specified time as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who face increased marketing costs for inventories.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/wool for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to wool.

CFAP 1 assistance was available to livestock producers who had an ownership interest in eligible livestock that suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and faced additional significant costs in marketing their inventories due to unexpected surplus and disrupted markets.

USDA announced updates to livestock eligibility on August 11. Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/livestock for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to livestock.

CFAP 1 payments were eligible to all dairy operations with milk production in January, February, and/or March 2020. Any dumped milk production during the months of January, February, and March 2020 was eligible for assistance. 

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/dairy for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to dairy production.

Producers of specialty crops were eligible for CFAP 1 payments in the following three categories:

1. Had crops that suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline between mid-January and mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
2. Had produce shipped but subsequently spoiled due to loss of marketing channel, and
3. Had shipments that did not leave the farm or mature crops that remained unharvested.  

USDA announced on July 9 that it would make more than 40 additional specialty crops eligible for CFAP 1. Additional eligible specialty crops were announced on August 11. Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/specialty for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to specialty crops.

USDA announced on August 11 that nursery crops and cut flowers were eligible for CFAP 1 assistance. Nursery crops means decorative or non-decorative plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale. Cut flowers includes cut flowers and cut greenery from annual and perennial flowering plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/nursery for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to nursery crops and cut flowers.

USDA announced on August 11 that catfish, largemouth bass, and carp sold live as foodfish, hybrid striped bass, red drum, salmon, sturgeon, tilapia, trout, ornamental/tropical fish, recreational sportfish, and crawfish were eligible for CFAP 1 assistance.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/aquaculture for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to aquaculture commodities.

USDA announced on August 11 that both liquid eggs and frozen eggs were eligible for CFAP 1 assistance.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/eggs for more information on CFAP 1 eligibility and payment details related to eggs.

Eligible producers of specified agricultural commodities outlined above who suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who face substantial marketing costs for inventories, were eligible for CFAP 1 payments.

To be eligible for payments, a person or legal entity must have an average adjusted gross income of less than $900,000 for tax years 2016, 2017, and 2018. However, if 75 percent of their adjusted gross income comes from farming, ranching, or forestry, the AGI limit of $900,000 does not apply.

Persons and legal entities also must:

• comply with the provisions of the “Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation” regulations, often called the conservation compliance provisions; and
• not have a controlled substance violation.

Additionally:

• if a person who is not a US Citizen or Resident Alien (possessing an I-551 “Green Card”), then that person must provide a significant contribution of capital, land, and active personal labor to be eligible for CFAP payments.
• if a legal entity with more than 10 percent ownership held by persons who are not a US Citizen or Resident Alien, then that entity is eligible for payment if each foreign person in the entity makes a significant contribution of labor to the farming operation. If the foreign person(s) does not make a significant contribution of active personal labor to the farming operation, the legal entity’s payment is reduced by the pro-rata ownership interest held by the foreign person(s).   

CFAP 1 payments are subject to a per person and legal entity payment limitation of $250,000. This limitation applies to the total amount of CFAP 1 payments made with respect to all eligible commodities.

Unlike other FSA programs, special payment limitation rules were applied to participants that are corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships (corporate entities). These corporate entities may receive up to $750,000 based upon the number of shareholders – not to exceed three shareholders – who contribute at least 400 hours of active person management or personal active labor.  

For a corporate entity:

• With one such shareholder the payment limit for the entity is $250,000;
• With two such shareholders, the payment limit for the entity is $500,000 if at least two members contribute substantial labor or management with respect to the operation of the corporate entity; and
• With three such shareholders, the limit is $750,000 if at least three members contribute substantial labor or management with respect to the operation of the corporate entity.

Each individual shareholder received payment based on the percentage of interest in the entity. However, each individual shareholder remained subject to the $250,000 payment limit, which means that the entity may not realize the full amount of the increased entity limitation. There may be additional reductions if the shareholder has earnings through other farming operations.
 

To ensure availability of funding, producers with approved applications initially received 80 percent of their payments. Beginning the week of August 17, FSA automatically began issuing the remaining 20 percent of the calculated payment to eligible producers. Going forward, producers who applied for CFAP 1 received 100 percent of their total payment, not to exceed the payment limit, when their applications were approved.

Commodities that did not suffer a five percent-or-greater price decline due to COVID-19 between the specified timeframes, or commodities for which there was not enough data to substantiate a claim, were not eligible for CFAP 1. Specifically, this included, goats, bison, buffalo, beefalo, turkeys, mink, mohair, shell eggs, dried eggs, layers, soft red winter wheat, hard red winter wheat, white wheat, rice, flax, rye, green peanuts, feed barley, Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, alfalfa, hemp, and tobacco.

USDA received comments on a range of commodities without sufficient data to determine if these crops suffered eligible losses due to the effects of COVID-19. These commodities were thereby ineligible for CFAP 1 and were reported in the latest NOFA, effective August 14.

Additionally, USDA received comments requesting CFAP 1 assistance for oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and marine algae. The Secretary of Commerce provided assistance for molluscan shellfish and marine algae with funding provided by section 12005 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act,  Pub. L. 116-136). To avoid providing duplicate payments for the same losses, USDA determined that CFAP 1 will not cover those commodities. Learn more about aquaculture eligibility for CFAP 1 at farmers.gov/cfap1/aquaculture.

USDA considered additional commodities to be eligible for CFAP 1 by collecting information on potentially eligible commodities. In response to comments and data received by the public, USDA announced on July 9 that it would make more than 40 additional commodities eligible for the program and announced nearly 60 additional eligible commodities on August 11. In addition to these newly eligible commodities, USDA also expanded funding categories for several additional commodities and adjusted payment rates for others. Updated information related to these announcements is available on our specialty crops, livestock, nursery and cut flowers, aquaculture, and eggs pages, above. 
 

CFAP 1 used funding and authorities provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and other USDA existing authorities. This $19 billion immediate relief program included direct support to agricultural producers as well as the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

Eligible farmers and ranchers received one CFAP 1 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 compensated 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 used the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act to compensate producers for $6.5 billion in losses due to on-going market disruptions.

This dashboard tracks CFAP 1 payments and applications by state, and is current as of May 10, 2021. Weekly updates will be posted every Monday.
 

Educational Webinar Recordings

FSA hosted commodity-specific CFAP 1 webinars that cover program basics and what producers should know to enroll in the program. Recordings of each webinar are available for you to watch at any time.

NOTE: The original CFAP 1 application deadline  – August 28, 2020  – is reflected in some of the below resources. USDA announced on August 11 that the deadline to apply for CFAP 1 was extended to September 11, 2020. Nearly 60 additional eligible commodities were also announced on August 11.

CFAP Additional Eligible Commodities Announced 8/11/2020: On August 11, USDA announced nearly 60 additional commodities that are now eligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1. Additionally, USDA is extending the deadline to apply for the program to September 11, 2020, and producers with approved applications will receive their final payment. FSA specialists discuss these updates in this webinar.

CFAP Newly Eligible Specialty Crops and Program Adjustments Announced 7/09/2020: USDA announced on July 9 that it would make more than 40 additional commodities eligible for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1. USDA also expanded funding categories for several additional commodities and adjusted payment rates for others. FSA specialists discuss these updates in this webinar.

CFAP for Specialty Crop Producers: We talk with one of the CFAP National Program Specialists to discuss what specialty crop producers should know to sign up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1.

CFAP for Dairy and Non-Specialty Crop Producers: We talk with two of the CFAP National Program Specialists to discuss what dairy and non-specialty crop producers should know to sign up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1.

CFAP for Livestock and Non-Specialty Crop Producers: We talk with two of the CFAP National Program Specialists to discuss what livestock and non-specialty crop producers should know to sign up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1.

CFAP and USDA Programs During Coronavirus: We talk with specialists across USDA about what producers should know to sign up for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1 and other USDA program flexibilities due to COVID-19.

Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Introductory Webinar: This webinar hosted by USDA’s Farm Service Agency and Agricultural Marketing Service provides initial information on how producers can prepare to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 1.

Videos

CFAP Payment Calculator Demo: This video provides information about using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator to input information specific to your operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap1/faq for answers to questions we received from producers related to CFAP 1. These FAQs were last updated on October 13, 2020.

CFAP 1 Fact Sheets in English

A general CFAP fact sheet is available in English, as well as commodity-specific fact sheets for non-specialty crops, wool, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, aquaculture, eggs, and nursery crops and cut flowers.

CFAP 1 Fact Sheets in Spanish

A general CFAP fact sheet is available in Spanish, as well as commodity-specific fact sheets for non-specialty crops, wool, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, eggs, and nursery crops and cut flowers.

CFAP 1 Fact Sheets in Puerto Rican Spanish

A general CFAP fact sheet is available in Puerto Rican Spanish, as well as commodity-specific fact sheets for non-specialty crops, wool, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, eggs, and nursery crops and cut flowers.

CFAP 1 Stakeholder Toolkit

Our CFAP Stakeholder Toolkit includes key messages, a newsletter article, social media posts, and CFAP 1 posters. This toolkit was last updated on August 20, 2020.

CFAP 1 Posters

We offer a package of posters that can also be accessed individually for livestock, dairy, fruit and vegetable, crop, aquaculture, egg, nursery crop, and farm impacts due to COVID-19. These posters were last updated on August 20, 2020.

Our CFAP 1 posters are also available in Spanish. This package of posters was last updated on August 28, 2020.

CFAP 1 Stakeholder Webinar

Our stakeholder webinar, How Organizations Can Spread the Word, covers CFAP 1 program basics, the NOFA process, and resources available to assist producers with sign up and to promote the program widely.

The below resources provide more information on CFAP 1.

Final Rule and Correcting Amendments

CFAP Final Rule – Posted May 21, 2020

CFAP Correcting Amendment – Posted June 12, 2020

CFAP Correcting Amendment – Posted July 10, 2020

CFAP Correcting Amendment – Posted August 14, 2020

CFAP Correcting Amendment – Posted September 18, 2020

Notice of Funding Availability and Corrections

CFAP Notice of Funding Availability – Posted May 22, 2020

NOFA Correction – Posted June 12, 2020

NOFA: Additional Eligible Commodities – Posted July 10, 2020

NOFA: Additional Eligible Commodities – Posted August 14, 2020

Cost-Benefit Analysis

CFAP Cost-Benefit Analysis – Posted May 14, 2020