On National Agriculture Day, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allocate up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. 

This emergency assistance program, managed by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), aims to help producers cope with rising input costs and declining commodity prices.

"Producers are facing higher costs and market uncertainty, and the Trump Administration is committed to providing the necessary support without delay," said Secretary Rollins. "With clear guidance from Congress, USDA has prioritized streamlining the process to accelerate these payments ahead of schedule, ensuring farmers have the resources to manage their expenses and secure financing for the upcoming season."

Authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, these relief payments are based on the acres planted and those prevented from being planted for eligible commodities in the 2024 crop year. 

To simplify the delivery of ECAP, FSA will begin sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports for eligible crops shortly after the signup period opens on March 19, 2025. 

Producers do not need to wait for their pre-filled application to apply. They can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office for an application once the signup period begins.

Eligibility

Producers must report their planted and prevented planted acres for the 2024 crop year to FSA using the FSA-578 Report of Acreage form. Those who have not reported their 2024 acreage or filed a notice of loss must submit an acreage report by August 15, 2025. Further details on eligibility and payment can be found at fsa.usda.gov/ecap.

Eligible commodities for ECAP and their corresponding per-acre payment rates are listed here.

Applying for ECAP

Producers must submit their ECAP applications to their local FSA county office by August 15, 2025. Only one application is required for all eligible commodities nationwide. Applications can be submitted in person, electronically via Box and One-Span, by fax, or online at fsa.usda.gov/ecap using a secure login.gov account.

Most producers, particularly those previously participating in FSA programs, will likely have these forms on file. Those unsure about their status or needing to submit the new Form-943 can contact their local FSA office.

If producers do not receive a pre-filled ECAP application and have planted or been prevented from planting eligible commodities in 2024, they should contact their local FSA office.

ECAP payments will be issued as applications are approved. The initial payments will be calculated at 85% to ensure total payments do not exceed available funding. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.

Payments are determined by the eligible commodity's payment rate multiplied by the reported acres and are based on acreage rather than production. Assistance will be calculated at 50% for acres reported as prevented planting.

Producers can estimate their ECAP payments using the online calculator available at fsa.usda.gov/ec

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