More than $545 million in producer payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) have already been approved by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA). Since the sign-up process began on May 26, more than 86,000 applications have been submitted by livestock and crop farmers.

Just six days into the application period, FSA already made payments to over 35,000 producers. The states receiving the most funding so far are Illinois, Kansas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Looking specifically at dairy, a total of $128.6 million was paid out as of June 3. The state with the most dairy farms in the nation had the most sign ups, with 4,115 applications coming from Wisconsin. The Badger State was followed by New York with 584 applications. Pennsylvania had 461 applications, and 370 came from Minnesota during that first week.

As for the other commodities, a total of $267.8 million has been paid to livestock producers across the nation; $140.3 million has been distributed to producers of non-specialty crops (including corn and soybeans); and $8.4 million has been paid out for specialty crops (including fruits, vegetables, and nuts).

FSA will accept applications through August 28, 2020. In all, USDA has made available $16 billion in financial assistance to producers of agricultural commodities who have suffered financial losses due to COVID-19.

Producers will receive 80% of their maximum total payment when their application is approved. The remaining portion of the payment, not to exceed the payment limit, will be paid at a later date as funds remain available.

More details about the CFAP program can be found at www.farmers.gov/cfap.