Producers with an eAuthentication account can now apply for CFAP via our CFAP Application Portal. Step-by-step instructions are available in our CFAP Application Portal User Guide. Applications are completed, electronically signed, and submitted directly to your local Service Center through this online system. Producers interested in creating an eAuthentication account should visit farmers.gov/sign-in to learn more.

Producers without an eAuthentication account also have the option of signing and sharing their CFAP applications online using our new document signature solutions initiated by Service Center staff. 

NOTE: Producers will not be able to apply for newly listed commodities until July 13, 2020. Visit our specialty crops page for more information.

Producers who are interested in filling out the CFAP application manually can download the application form, AD-3114, to fill out and return to the FSA office at their local USDA Service Center. If you need more space, you should use the AD-3114A continuation form.

Instructions for form AD-3114 and AD-3114 continuation are available for producers to reference when filling out both forms.

Our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator is an Excel workbook that allows you to input information specific to your operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which you can then print, sign, and submit to the FSA office at your local USDA Service Center.

Microsoft Excel is required to use this workbook. Please download the workbook and save to your computer. You will need to open the file 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.

On July 13, USDA updated the Payment Calculator to include more than 40 recently added commodities. Visit our specialty crops page for more information.

CFAP payments are eligible to producers of non-specialty crops who have 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/cfap/non-specialty for more information on CFAP eligibility and payment details related to non-specialty crops.

CFAP payments are eligible to wool producers who have 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/cfap/wool for more information on CFAP eligibility and payment details related to wool.

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.

Visit farmers.gov/cfap/livestock for more information on CFAP eligibility and payment details related to livestock.

CFAP payments are 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 is eligible for assistance. 

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

Producers of specialty crops are eligible for CFAP 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. Visit farmers.gov/cfap/specialty for more information on CFAP eligibility and payment details related to specialty crops.

Eligible producers of specified agricultural commodities outlined above who have suffered a five percent-or-greater price decline as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and who face substantial marketing costs for inventories, are eligible for CFAP 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;
• if a foreign person, provides land, capital, and a substantial amount of active personal labor to the farming operation; and
• not have a controlled substance violation.

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

Unlike other FSA programs, special payment limitation rules will be 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 will receive payment based on the percentage of interest in the entity. However, each individual shareholder remains 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 the availability of funding throughout the application period, producers will receive 80 percent of their maximum total payment upon approval of the application. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date as funds remain available. 
 

Commodities that did not suffer a five percent-or-greater price decline from mid-January 2020 to mid-April 2020 are not eligible for CFAP. Specifically, this includes sheep more than two years old, eggs/layers, soft red winter wheat, hard red winter wheat, white wheat, rice, flax, rye, peanuts, feed barley, Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, alfalfa, forage crops, hemp, and tobacco.

USDA considered additional commodities to be eligible for CFAP 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. In addition to these newly eligible commodities, USDA also expanded funding categories for several additional commodities and adjusted payment rates for others. A full list of these commodities, and their associated payment rates, can be found on our specialty crops page.

USDA may add other commodities to the program.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program uses 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 includes direct support to agricultural producers as well as the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

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.

This dashboard tracks CFAP payments and applications by state, and is current as of July 6, 2020. Weekly updates will be posted every Monday.
 

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.

Upcoming Educational Webinars

Additional Eligible Commodities and Program Adjustments: Join the USDA Farm Service Agency as we discuss additional commodities that are now eligible for CFAP. We will also cover adjustments made to the program based on comments received from agricultural producers and organizations and review of market data. This webinar will be held on July 14 at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Registration is currently open.

Educational Webinar Recordings

FSA hosted commodity-specific CFAP webinars from June 9, 2020 through June 18, 2020. These webinars covered 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.

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.

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.

Non-Specialty Crop and Livestock 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.

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

Visit farmers.gov/cfap/faq for answers to recent questions we have received from producers. These FAQs were last updated on July 1, 2020.

CFAP 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, and specialty crops.

CFAP 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, and specialty crops.

CFAP 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, and specialty crops.

The CFAP Application Portal User Guide provides step-by-step instructions for producers with eAuthentication accounts to apply for CFAP via our CFAP Application Portal.

The CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator is an Excel workbook that allows you to input information specific to your operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form.

Microsoft Excel is required to use this workbook. Please download the workbook then save to your computer. You will need to open the file 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.
 

Stakeholder Toolkit

USDA encourages producers and agricultural groups to share information with those in their network. This toolkit includes an article, an infographic, and social media posts.

Stakeholder Webinar

Our stakeholder webinar, How Organizations Can Spread the Word, covers CFAP 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.

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

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

Cost-Benefit Analysis

CFAP Cost-Benefit Analysis – Posted May 14, 2020