The deadline is quickly approaching for farmers, ranchers, and nursery owners to apply for CFAP 2. the successor to the first Coronavirus Food Assistance Program administered by the USDA using funds from the USA CARES Act. The program, which was launched on September 21st, is designed to provide direct financial relief to agribusinesses facing losses from COVID-19. The financial assistance you receive is not a loan and does not need to be paid back. It is not a first-come, first-served program and funds are still available. However, the program will stop accepting applications on December 11th.

CFAP 2 covers a vast amount of crops and commodities, and a list of eligible commodities, along with payment rates, can be found on the USDA’s CFAP 2: Eligible and Ineligible Commodities page. The number of covered commodities has expanded since the last program, so be sure to check it out even if your losses weren’t covered in the first round.

While the mission of CFAP 2 is the same as CFAP 1, they are wholly separate programs with separate funding sources. You do not need to have enrolled in the first round of CFAP to be eligible for CFAP 2, nor does having applied for CFAP 1 automatically enroll you in CFAP 2. If you applied for CFAP 1 and received funds, you can still apply for CFAP 2.

For more information, or for assistance with applying for CFAP 2, contact your local Farm Service Agency office (FIND YOURS).

0