The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already approved more than $545 million in payments to producers who have applied for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). FSA began taking applications May 26, and the agency has received more than 86,000 applications for this important relief program.

“The coronavirus has hurt America’s farmers, ranchers and producers, and these payments directed by President [Donald] Trump will help this critical industry weather the current pandemic so they can continue to plant and harvest a safe, nutritious and affordable crop for the American people,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said. “We have tools and resources available to help producers understand the program and enable them to work with Farm Service Agency staff to complete applications as smoothly and efficiently as possible and get payments into the pockets of our patriotic farmers.”

In the first six days of the application period, FSA has already made payments to more than 35,000 producers, USDA said in a June 4 news release. Out of the starting gate, the top five states for CFAP payments are Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska and South Dakota. USDA has released data on application progress and program payments and will release further updates each Monday at 2 p.m. (Eastern). The report can be viewed at farmers.gov/cfap.

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FSA will accept applications through Aug. 28, 2020. Through CFAP, USDA is making available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a price decline of 5% or greater due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs as a result of lower demand, surplus production and disruptions to shipping patterns and the orderly marketing of commodities.

In order to do this, producers will receive 80% 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 nationwide, as funds remain available.

New customers seeking one-on-one support for the CFAP application process can call 1-877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at a local USDA Service Center.

Producers can download the CFAP application and other eligibility forms from farmers.gov/cfap. Also on that webpage is a payment calculator to help producers identify the sales and inventory records needed to apply and calculate potential payments. Producers self-certify their records when applying for CFAP, and that documentation is not submitted with the application. However, producers may be asked for their documentation to support the certification of eligible commodities, so producers should retain the information used to complete their application.

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Those who use the online calculator tool will be able to print a pre-filled CFAP application, sign it and submit it to their local FSA office either electronically or via hand delivery through an office drop box. Contact a local office to determine the preferred delivery method for that office. Team members at FSA county offices will be able to answer detailed questions and help producers apply quickly and efficiently through phone and online tools. Find contact information for local offices at farmers.gov/cfap.

FSA has been working with stakeholder groups to provide further clarification to producers on CFAP. For example, the agency has published a matrix of common marketing contracts that affect eligibility for non-specialty crops and has provided a table that crosswalks common livestock terms to CFAP cattle categories. Updated information can be found in the frequently asked questions section of the CFAP website.