The Lincoln-Franklin County Farm Service Agency Office will accept new or modified Coronavirus Food Assistance Program applications from eligible producers through Oct. 12.

Producers of specified agricultural commodities who face continuing market disruptions and significant marketing costs are eligible for CFAP 2 payments. Payments will be split into four categories: price trigger commodities; flat-rate crops; sales commodities; and contract livestock and poultry.

Contract producers of broilers, pullets, layers, chicken eggs, turkeys and hogs and pigs may be eligible. Ducks, geese, pheasants and quail produced under contract are also eligible, as well as breeding stock of eligible livestock and eggs of all eligible poultry types.

Payments are based on a comparison of eligible revenue for the periods of Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 27, 2019, and Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 27, 2020. Contract growers may elect to use eligible revenue from the period of Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 27, 2018, instead of the 2019 date range as a more representative comparison to 2020. This option is intended to provide flexibility and make CFAP 2 more equitable for contract producers who had reduced revenue in 2019 compared to a normal year for their operation. The difference in revenue is then multiplied by 80% to determine final payment.

FSA may now adjust a contract producer’s eligible revenue based on information certified by the producer if they did not have a full period of revenue from Jan. 1 to Dec. 27 for either 2018 or 2019, or if the producer increased operation size in 2020. Additionally, payments will be provided for eligible producers who were not in operation in 2018 or 2019, who would have been ineligible under the previous final rule. Assistance for these producers is based on 2020 eligible revenue and average revenue loss level, which will be determined by USDA for a geographic area or region based on the best available data.

Payments may be factored if the total calculated payments exceed available funding.

The local USDA Service Center is open, but in-person visits are restricted. Application information can be taken by phone and services can be provided by mail or email.  For more information, call 601-833-9321 ext. 2, email melissa.jordan@usda.gov or visit www.fsa.usda.gov.