Department of Agriculture and Forestry, State of Louisiana - Mike Strain DVM, Commissioner

NEWS

Deadline Extended for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

September 14, 2020

Baton Rouge, LA. (September 14, 2020) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is extending the deadline for farmers and ranchers to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) from Sept. 11, 2020, to Oct. 9, 2020, for producers in Louisiana. FSA is only authorizing this deadline extension for areas impacted by Hurricane Laura.

“Our farmers have had many challenges this year starting with the pandemic and now the busy tropics. The extra time will be beneficial as they recover from the storm,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M.

CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. Over 160 commodities are eligible for CFAP, including certain non-specialty crops, livestock, dairy, wool, specialty crops, eggs, aquaculture, and nursery crops and cut flowers. All eligible commodities, payment rates, and calculations can be found on farmers.gov/cfap.

For direct assistance with the CFAP application process, call 877-508-8364 to speak 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 their local USDA Service Center.

Information on how to apply, including the application form and all other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap/apply. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file.

More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.