Nursery Crops and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
Are you a nursery crop or cut flower producer whose operation has been directly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic? The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19.
The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP, provides vital financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered a five-percent-or-greater price decline or who had losses due to market supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and face additional significant marketing costs. USDA is accepting applications now through September 11, 2020. Learn more here.
Nursery Crop and Cut Flower Eligibility
USDA announced on August 11 that nursery crops and cut flowers are eligible for CFAP. Specifically,
- Nursery crops means decorative or non-decorative plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.
- Cut flowers includes cut flowers and cut greenery from annual and perennial flowering plants grown in a container or controlled environment for commercial sale.
CFAP Payments for Nursery Crops and Cut Flowers
CFAP payments for nursery crops and cut flowers will be based on a percentage of the producer’s wholesale value of inventory. Payments will be the sum of CARES Act payments and CCC payments as follows:
- CARES Act Payments: For nursery crop and cut flower inventory that was shipped but subsequently spoiled or is unpaid due to loss of marketing channels between January 15, 2020 and April 15, 2020, the wholesale value of the inventory that was shipped that spoiled or is unpaid, multiplied by 15.55 percent; and
- CCC Payments: For nursery crop and cut flower inventory that did not leave the farm between January 15, 2020 and April 15, 2020, due to a complete loss of marketing channel, the wholesale value of the inventory ready for sale that did not leave the farm by April 15, 2020, and that will not be sold due to lack of markets, multiplied by 13.45 percent.
Nursery crop and cut flower inventory that may be sold after April 15, 2020, is not eligible for CFAP.