CORONAVIRUS FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS REEVALUATED, POTATO FARMS BECOME ELIGIBLE

on Monday, 13 July 2020. Posted in Blog & News

The Secretary of Agriculture implemented the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides assistance to agricultural producers impacted by the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak, through a final rule published in the Federal Register on May 21, 2020. USDA realized that there were errors in some of the payment rates in that final rule. They were able to reevaluate the payment rates for certain specialty crops based on data that was available from industry in response to the CFAP notice of funding availability, which was published in the Federal Register on May 22, 2020. The potato industry provided USDA with documentation identifying injury so that reevaluation could occur. Potatoes are now included in all three categories, splitting the commodity up into the four segments below.

The breakdown is as follows:

Potatoes fresh – other $0.01 lb (Category 1) $0.04 lb (Category 2) $0.01 lb (Category 3)

Potatoes fresh – Russets $0.07 lb (Category 1) $0.09 lb (Category 2) $0.02 lb (Category 3)

Potatoes – processing $0.02 lb (Category 1) $0.03 lb (Category 2) $0.01 lb (Category 3)

Potatoes – seed $0.02 lb (Category 1) $0.04 lb (Category 2) $0.01 lb (Category 3)

Additional details can be found in the Federal Register in the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and Final Rule Correction and at www.farmers.gov/cfap.

Producers have several options for applying to the CFAP program:

Using an online portal, accessible at farmers.gov/cfap, allows producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—to certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. New commodities will be available in the system on July 13, 2020.
Completing the application form using our CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers.gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows customers to input information specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center. An updated version with the new commodities will be available on the website on July 13, 2020.
Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers.gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status of your local office.

Ephrata Service Center (Grant)

2145 Basin St SW, Ephrata WA, 98823-9451

(509) 754-2463

Contact: Gus Jensvold

augustas.jensvold@usda.gov

Ritzville Service Center (Adams)

506 Weber Ave, Ritzville WA, 99169-2118

(509) 659-1761

Contact: Chris Holt

chris.holt@usda.gov

Pasco Service Center (Franklin)

1533 E Spokane St, Pasco WA, 99301