On March 27, 2020, the US government passed the CARES Act in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Under the CARES Act, the Small Business Administration (SBA) is offering loans and emergency advances under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The program was suspended by the SBA on April 15, 2020 when initial funding ran out. The EIDL application portal was reopened on May 4, 2020 as a result of additional funding for the EIDL program through the Paycheck Protection Program and Healthcare Enhancement Act (PPPHEA). The PPPHEA also provided additional funding for farmers, ranchers and certain other agricultural businesses affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

On May 4, 2020, in response to the PPPHEA, the SBA announced that it is making EIDL loans and advances available to agricultural businesses. Previously, the SBA has been prohibited by law from providing disaster assistance to agricultural businesses. The PPPHEA authorization will help agricultural businesses remain viable by providing access to emergency working capital so they can continue to support the US food supply chains.

Eligible agricultural businesses must have 500 or fewer employees.

Agricultural businesses are defined as businesses engaged in:

The SBA will begin accepting new EIDL applications on a limited basis only. For agricultural businesses that submitted an EIDL loan application through the SBA's streamlined application portal before the legislative change, the SBA will process these applications without the need for re-applying. All other EIDL loan applications that were submitted before the portal stopped accepting new applications on April 15, 2020 will be processed on a first-in, first-out basis.

For a summary of the EIDL program, see:

Checklist, CARES Act: Stimulus for Small Businesses Under the SBA.