Financial Aid

Specialty Crops Producers Can Now Apply for Financial Assistance Through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program -- Specialty crops producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.

Money available to producers; register now -- To provide immediate financial assistance to farmers and ranchers impacted by COVID-19, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provided the agriculture secretary with an immediate $9.5 billion and the Commodity Credit Corporation with a $14 billion replenishment. Combining the existing Commodity Credit Corporation funding of $6.5 billion with the $9.5 billion appropriated, the secretary created a $16 billion Coronavirus Food Assistance Program that will provide direct payments to farmers and ranchers to partially offset COVID-19-related losses for livestock and specialty and non-specialty crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revealed May 19 the details of these payments...