United States

Department of

Agriculture

CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

for Specialty Crops

FARM SERVICE AGENCY

USDA is providing critical support to our nation’s farmers 

and ranchers through the Coronavirus Food Assistance 

Program (CFAP). CFAP provides vital financial assistance 

to producers of agricultural commodities with financial 

assistance that gives them the ability to absorb sales 

declines and increased marketing costs associated with 

the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Overview

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Stability Act 

(CARES Act) and the Commodity Credit Corporation 

(CCC) Charter Act authorized the funds for the CFAP. 

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Agricutural 

Marketing Service (AMS) administer the program.

FSA is accepting applications for CFAP from

May 26, 2020, to August 28, 2020. 

Who is Eligible?

Producers of specialty crops are eligible for CFAP 

payments for losses for the following three categories:

1. Had crops that suffered a five percent-or-greater 

reduction in sales price between mid-January and 

mid-April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 

2. Had produce shipped but subsequently spoiled or 

was unpaid due to loss of marketing channel, and 

3. Had shipments that did not leave the farm or 

mature crops that remained unharvested. 

The table to the right lists the specialty crops eligible 

for payment in each category. 

Payments

Payments will be available for eligible specialty crops 

that experienced immediate losses, a price decline, 

spoiled, were unpaid, or were unharvested due to 

market conditions between January 15, 2020, and April 

15, 2020. Specialty crops in inventory or in storage 

facilities that may be sold after April 15, 2020, are not 

eligible for CFAP. 

1. Payments for crops that had a five percent-orgreater reduction in sales price between January 

15, 2020, and April 15, 2020.

• When requested, producers must provide 

records such as bills of sale.

2. Payments for crop shipments that left the farm by 

April 15, 2020, and spoiled due to no market. 

• When requested, producers must obtain 

documentation such as an explanation of 

non-payment or other record validating 

non-payment. 

3. Payments for crop shipments that did not leave the 

farm by April 15, 2020, (for example, were harvested 

but sitting in crates on the farm), were donated or 

mature crops that were unharvested by that date (for 

example, were plowed under) due to lack of buyers, 

and which have not been and will not be sold.

• When requested, producers must provide 

supporting documentation, which AMS will use 

to substantiate claims on a case-by-case basis.

CROP CATEGORY 1 CATEGORY 2 CATEGORY 3

Almonds   

Apples  

Artichokes   

Asparagus  

Avocados  

Beans   

Blueberries  

Broccoli   

Cabbage   

Cantaloupe  

Carrots   

Cauliflower   

Celery  

Corn, sweet   

Cucumbers   

Eggplant   

Garlic  

Grapefruit  

Kiwifruit  

Lemons   

Lettuce, iceberg   

Lettuce, romaine   

Mushrooms  

Onions, dry   

Onions, green  

Oranges  

Papaya  

Peaches   

Pears   

Pecans   

Peppers, bell type   

Peppers, other   

Potatoes  

Raspberries  

Rhubarb   

Spinach   

Squash   

Strawberries   

Sweet potatoes  

Tangerines  

Taro  

Tomatoes   

Walnuts  

Watermelons  
CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SPECIALTY CROPS PRODUCERS 2

The following table lists specialty crop payment rates for CFAP.

COMMODITY CARES ACT 

PAYMENT RATE FOR 

SALES LOSSES ($/LB)

CARES ACT PAYMENT RATE 

FOR PRODUCT THAT LEFT THE 

FARM BUT SPOILED DUE TO 

LOSS OF MARKETING 

CHANNEL ($/LB)

CCC PAYMENT RATE 

($/ACRE)

Almonds $0.26 $0.57 $237.60 

Apples -- $0.18 $1,125.00 

Artichokes $0.66 $0.49 $1,300.00 

Asparagus -- $0.38 $254.80 

Avocados -- $0.14 $153.60 

Beans $0.17 $0.16 $233.79 

Blueberries -- $0.62 $795.60 

Broccoli $0.62 $0.49 $1,563.00 

Cabbage $0.04 $0.07 $367.30 

Cantaloupe -- $0.10 $478.80 

Carrots $0.02 $0.11 $1,251.40 

Cauliflower $0.11 $0.31 $1,327.20 

Celery -- $0.07 $560.00 

Corn, sweet $0.09 $0.13 $483.60 

Cucumbers $0.13 $0.15 $444.90 

Eggplant $0.07 $0.15 $412.71 

Garlic -- $0.85 $2,635.00 

Grapefruit -- $0.11 $496.76 

Kiwifruit -- $0.32 $1.404.00 

Lemons $0.08 $0.21 $1,424.00 

Lettuce, iceberg $0.20 $0.15 $1,128.00 

Lettuce, romaine $0.07 $0.12 $623.60 

Mushrooms -- $0.59 $33,109.96 

Onions, dry $0.01 $0.05 $540.10 

Onions green -- $0.30 $1,782.00 

Oranges -- $0.14 $634.83 

Papaya -- $0.32 $1,020.00 

Peaches $0.08 $0.32 $1,099.20 

Pears $0.08 $0.18 $966.00 

Pecans $0.28 $0.93 $116.46 

Peppers, bell type $0.14 $0.22 $1,267.20 

Peppers, other $0.15 $0.22 $644.80 

Potatoes -- $0.04 $449.00 

Raspberries -- $1.45 $3,780.00 

Rhubarb $0.15 $1.03 $395.83 

Spinach $0.37 $0.37 $1,022.00 

Squash $0.72 $0.39 $2,534.40 

Strawberries $0.84 $0.72 $7,042.00 

Sweet potatoes -- $0.18 $871.60 

Tangerines -- $0.22 $1,224.88 

Taro -- $0.23 $481.50 

Tomatoes $0.64 $0.38 $6,122.90 

Walnuts -- $0.45 $322.20 

Watermelons -- $0.02 $0.00 

FACT SHEET - JUNE 24, 2020
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Payment Limitations

CFAP payments are subject to a per person and legal 

entity payment limitation of $250,000. This limitation 

applies to the total amount of CFAP payments made 

with respect to all eligible commodities.

Unlike other FSA programs, special payment limitation 

rules are applied to participants that are corporations, 

limited liability companies, and limited partnerships 

(corporate entities). These corporate entities may 

receive up to $750,000 based upon the number of 

shareholders (not to exceed three shareholders) who 

are contributing at least 400 hours of active person 

management or personal active labor. 

For a corporate entity:

• With one such shareholder, the payment limit for 

the entity is $250,000;

• With two such shareholders, the payment limit 

for the entity is $500,000 if at least two members 

contribute at least 400 hours of active personal 

labor or active personal management, or 

combination thereof, with respect to the operation 

of the corporate entity; and 

• With three such shareholders, the limit is $750,000 

if at least three members contribute at least 400 

hours of active personal labor or active personal 

management, or combination thereof, with respect 

to the operation of the corporate entity. 

Payment Structure

To ensure the availability of funding throughout the 

application period, producers will receive 80 percent 

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 

as funds remain available.

How to Apply

FSA staff at your local USDA Service Center will work 

with producers to file applications. Applications may be 

submitted via mail, fax, hand delivery, or via electronic 

means. Please call your office prior to sending 

applications electronically.

The CFAP application and associated forms are 

available online at farmers.gov/cfap. 

More Information

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; other 

restrictions may apply. For more information about the 

CFAP program, visit farmers.gov/cfap or contact your 

local FSA office. Additionally, producers in search of 

one-on-one support with the CFAP application process 

can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA 

employee ready to offer assistance.

To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/cfap. 

CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SPECIALTY CROPS PRODUCERS 3