On National Agriculture Day, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), which issues $10 billion in direct payments to agricultural producers for economic losses during the 2024 crop year. Authorized by the American Relief Act of 2025, these payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities during the 2024 crop year, with the goal of providing farmers with relief from the impacts of the declining agricultural economy.
The sign-up period is set to open on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, and applications are due on August 15, 2025. To expedite the dispersement of funds, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will send pre-filled applications to producers who have submitted acreage reports to FSA for the 2024 crop year once the application period opens. Producers will then have the opportunity to review the pre-filled application, make any necessary edits, and send it back to FSA. Producers can also request an application by going to fsa.usda.gov/ecap or contacting their local FSA office.
The eligible commodities and their per-acre payment rates are below:
- Wheat – $30.69
- Corn – $42.91
- Sorghum – $42.52
- Barley – $21.67
- Oats – $77.66
- Upland cotton and extra-long staple cotton – $84.74
- Long and medium grain rice -$76.94
- Peanuts – $75.51
- Soybeans – $29.76
- Dry peas – $16.02
- Lentils – $19.30
- Small chickpeas – $31.45
- Large chickpeas – $24.02
- Canola – $31.83
- Crambe – $19.08
- Flax – $20.97
- Mustard – $11.36
- Rapeseed – $23.63
- Safflower – $26.32
- Sesame – $16.83
- Sunflower – $27.23
“Producers are facing higher costs and market uncertainty, and the Trump Administration is ensuring they can get the support they need without delay,” said Secretary Rollins. “With clear direction from Congress, USDA has prioritized streamlining the process and accelerating these payments ahead of schedule, ensuring farmers have the resources necessary to manage rising expenses and securing financing for next season.”
