USDA implemented Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 for agricultural producers whose operations were directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The application period for CFAP 2 closed on December 11.
USDA announced an expansion of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program on September 17. Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2, CFAP 2, provided producers with financial assistance to absorb some of the increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
CFAP 2 followed the first round of CFAP, which had an application period of May 26 through September 11. Learn more about USDA’s initial Coronavirus Food Assistance Program by visiting farmers.gov/cfap1.
CFAP 2 Eligible Commodities Finder
Find payment rates for commodities that are eligible for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2.
Commodity Eligibility for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
Eligible commodities for CFAP 2 included:
Row Crops
Row crops eligible for CFAP 2 include: alfalfa, amaranth grain, barley, buckwheat, canola, corn, Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, upland cotton, crambe (colewort), einkorn, emmer, flax, guar, hemp, industrial rice, kenaf, khorasan, millet, mustard, oats, peanuts, quinoa, rapeseed, rice, sweet rice, wild rice, rye, safflower, sesame, sorghum, soybeans, speltz, sugar beets, sugarcane, sunflowers, teff, triticale, and all classes of wheat.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/row-crops for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to row crops.
Wool
Wool is eligible for CFAP 2.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/wool for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to wool.
Livestock
Livestock eligible for CFAP 2 includes: beef cattle, hogs and pigs, and lambs and sheep. Breeding stock is not eligible.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/livestock for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to livestock.
Specialty Livestock
Specialty livestock eligible for CFAP 2 consists of animals commercially raised for food, fur, fiber, or feathers, and includes: alpacas, bison, buffalo, beefalo, deer, ducks, elk, emus, geese, goats, guinea pigs, llamas, mink (including pelts), mohair, ostrich, pheasants, quail, rabbits, reindeer, turkey, water buffalo, and yak.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/specialty-livestock for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to specialty livestock.
Dairy
Cow milk and goat milk are both eligible for CFAP 2.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/dairy for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to dairy.
Specialty Crops
More than 230 fruit, vegetable, horticulture, and tree nut commodities are eligible for CFAP 2 along with honey, maple sap, and indigo.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/specialty for a full list of eligible commodities and more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to these commodities.
Floriculture and Nursery Crops
Floriculture eligible for CFAP 2 includes cut flowers and cut greenery from annual and perennial flowering plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale. Nursery crops eligible for CFAP 2 include decorative or nondecorative plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.
Cactus and Christmas trees are also eligible for CFAP 2.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/nursery for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to floriculture and nursery crops, including cactus and Christmas trees.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture eligible for CFAP 2 includes any species of aquatic organisms grown as food for human consumption, fish raised as feed for fish that are consumed by humans, and ornamental fish propagated and reared in an aquatic medium. Eligible aquacultural species must be raised by a commercial operator and in water in a controlled environment.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/aquaculture for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to aquaculture.
Broilers and Eggs
Broilers and eggs are eligible for CFAP 2.
Commodities grown under a contract in which the grower has ownership and production risk are eligible for CFAP 2.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/broilers-eggs for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to broilers and eggs.
Tobacco
Tobacco is eligible for CFAP 2. Tobacco funding will come from the authority given by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/tobacco for more information on CFAP 2 eligibility and payment details related to tobacco.
About Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 on September 17, 2020. Signup for CFAP 2 opened on September 21 and ran through December 11, 2020. Key program information includes:
Eligible Producers
Any individual or legal entity who shares in the risk of producing a commodity may apply for CFAP 2.
Producers must be in the business of farming at the time of submitting their application to be eligible.
Commodities grown under a contract in which the grower has ownership and production risk are eligible for CFAP 2.
Producers can apply for assistance for only commercially produced commodities.
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-related activities, the AGI limit of $900,000 does not apply and the person or legal entity is eligible to receive CFAP 2 payments up to the applicable payment limitation.
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 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 2.
- if a legal entity has more than 10 percent ownership held by persons who are not a US Citizen or Resident Alien, then that entity is eligible for payment only 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).
Payment Limitations
The total CFAP 2 payment that a person or legal entity may receive, directly or indirectly through attribution of payments, is $250,000. As this is a separate program, this payment limitation is separate from the CFAP 1 payment limit. This limitation applies to the total amount of CFAP 2 payments made with respect to all eligible commodities.
The total amount of CFAP 2 payments made to a legal entity – such as to a corporation, limited liability corporation, limited partnership, trust, or estate – is $250,000 except if:
- two different members of the legal entity each provide at least 400 hours of active personal labor, active personal management, or combination thereof with respect to the production of 2020 commodities, then an entity may receive up to $500,000.
- three different members of the legal entity each provide at least 400 hours of active personal labor, active personal management, or combination thereof with respect to the production of 2020 commodities, then an entity may receive up to $750,000.
Although the payment limitation is increased for the corporation, LLC, LP, trust, or estate, each members’ payment limitation (received directly or indirectly) remains subject to the $250,000 individual person payment limit.
These payment limit provisions are different from and separate from the payment limitations established by the 2018 Farm Bill.
Ineligible Commodities
Commodities not eligible for CFAP 2 include:
- Hay, except alfalfa, and crops intended for grazing are ineligible for CFAP 2.
- All equine, breeding stock, companion or comfort animals, pets, and animals raised for hunting or game purposes.
- Birdsfoot and trefoil, clover, cover crop, fallow, forage soybeans, forage sorghum, gardens (commercial and home), grass, kochia (prostrata), lespedeza, milkweed, mixed forage, pelts (excluding mink), perennial peanuts, pollinators, sunn hemp, vetch, and seed of ineligible crops.
Funding and Authorities
CFAP 2 will provide producers with financial assistance that gives them the ability to absorb some of the increased marketing costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic. Funding for CFAP 2, except for tobacco, will be provided under the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act. CFAP 2 will provide up to $14 billion in direct support for agricultural producers of eligible commodities.
Tobacco funding will come from the authority given by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, not to exceed $100 million.
CFAP 2 Payment Dashboard
This dashboard tracks CFAP 2 payments and applications by state, and is current as of December 14, 2020. Weekly updates will be posted every Monday.
A few notes:
- Acreage-based includes row-crops that fall in the price-trigger or flat-rate payment categories. A list of these commodities can be found on farmers.gov/cfap/commodities.
- Dairy only includes cow’s milk.
- Eggs and Broilers include shell, dry, liquid and frozen eggs and broilers.
- Livestock includes beef cattle, hogs and pigs, lambs and sheep.
- Sales commodities include specialty crops, aquaculture, tobacco, specialty livestock, nursery crops and floriculture, and other commodities not included in the price trigger and flat-rate payment categories. A list of these commodities can be found on farmers.gov/cfap/commodities.
CFAP 1 data can be found at farmers.gov/cfap1/data.
CFAP 2 Resources
USDA offers answers to frequently asked questions, digital tools, and additional information for farmers and ranchers interested in learning more about CFAP 2.
Videos and Webinars
Videos
CFAP 2 for Broiler and Egg Producers: Producers of broilers and eggs may be eligible for direct financial assistance through USDA’s CFAP 2.
CFAP 2 for Aquaculture Producers: Producers of certain aquaculture commodities that are commercially grown in water in a controlled environment may be eligible for direct financial assistance through USDA's CFAP 2.
CFAP 2 for Specialty Crop Producers: Producers of specialty crops including fruits, vegetables, horticulture, tree nuts, honey, or map sap may be eligible for direct financial assistance through USDA’s CFAP 2.
CFAP 2 for Row Crop Producers: Assistance is available for a variety of row crops through USDA's CFAP 2.
CFAP 2 for Livestock Producers: If you commercially raise animals for food, fur, fiber, or feathers, you may be eligible for assistance through USDA’s CFAP 2.
How to Apply for CFAP 2: USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers multiple options for producers to apply for CFAP 2 to best meet your business needs.
Three Categories of CFAP 2 Payments: CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – price trigger commodities, flat-rate crops, and sales commodities.
USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2: Does COVID-19 continue to impact your agricultural operation? This two-minute video provides information on CFAP 2, which is a separate program from the first round of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, now referred to as CFAP 1. USDA is accepting CFAP 2 applications through December 11, 2020.
Educational Webinar Recordings
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 Producer Webinar: USDA's Farm Service Agency introduces Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2. Learn about expanded eligibility for certain commodities, new payment categories including a sales-based approach to specialty crops and other specific commodities, and information on how to apply. This webinar was hosted on September 24 at 3:00 PM EDT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/faq for answers to common CFAP 2 questions. These FAQs were last updated on December 9, 2020.
Fact Sheet
Our Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 fact sheet provides up-to-date program information to support your application. This fact sheet is also available in Spanish and in Puerto Rican Spanish.
Commodities by Payment Category
Visit farmers.gov/cfap/commodities for a list of all eligible and ineligible commodities for CFAP 2 outlined by payment category.
Tools for Stakeholders
Stakeholder Toolkit
USDA encourages producers and agricultural groups to share information with those in their network. Our CFAP 2 Stakeholder Toolkit includes key talking points, a newsletter article, and suggested social media posts intended to raise awareness around CFAP 2. This toolkit was last updated on October 13, 2020.
CFAP Posters
We offer a package of posters that can be accessed individually for agricultural operations or farms as well as crop, dairy, fruit or vegetable, and livestock operations impacted by COVID-19. These posters were last updated on October 13, 2020.
We also offer a general CFAP 2 poster for all agricultural producers. This poster was last updated on November 12, 2020.
CFAP 2 Guide for New Customers
This guide is intended to assist producers who have never participated in Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs before.
CFAP 2 Examples for Small Farms
This document includes step-by-step examples of CFAP 2 payment calculations for four small farms.
Farmers.gov Blog
CFAP 2 Myths Debunked: This farmers.gov blog by FSA's National Director of Outreach debunks 10 common myths about CFAP 2.
Rule and Cost-Benefit Analysis
The below resources provide more information on CFAP 2.
CFAP 2 Rule
CFAP 2 Rule – Posted September 22, 2020
Cost-Benefit Analysis
CFAP 1 Information
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program on April 17, 2020. The application period for CFAP 1 opened on May 26, 2020, with applications accepted through September 11 for most producers and an updated deadline of October 9 for producers in certain locations impacted by natural disasters.
All information related to CFAP 1 can be found at farmers.gov/cfap1, with commodity-specific CFAP 1 information available for non-specialty crops, wool, livestock, dairy, specialty crops, nursery crops and cut flowers, aquaculture, and eggs.
Broader USDA Efforts
USDA offers additional programs and services available to farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Learn more at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
In the News
December 1, 2020: Dec. 11 Deadline Approaching for USDA Program for Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by COVID-19
November 12, 2020: Apply Now for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2
October 26, 2020: More than $7 Billion Paid in Second Round of USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
September 18, 2020: USDA to Provide Additional Direct Assistance to Farmers and Ranchers Impacted by the Coronavirus
CFAP 2 Videos
Find Your Local Service Center
We are committed to delivering USDA services to America’s farmers and ranchers while taking safety measures in response to COVID-19. While employees continue to staff our Service Centers, some are only available for phone appointments at this time. You can learn the status of your service center through this tool. Learn more at farmers.gov/coronavirus.
USDA Service Centers are locations where you can connect with Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or Rural Development employees for your business needs. Enter your state and county below to find your local service center and agency offices. If this locator does not work in your browser, please visit offices.usda.gov.
Visit the Risk Management Agency website to find a regional or compliance office or to find an insurance agent near you.