ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – USDA’s Farm Service Agency is issuing up to $10 billion in direct payments to eligible agricultural producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP).
According to USDA Farm Service Agency, Department of Agriculture, farmers will receive a one-time payment to help agricultural producers overcome increased input costs and falling commodity prices.
To be eligible for these payments, producers must meet the following requirements:
- Be actively engaged in farming.
- Have an interest in input expenses for a covered commodity.
- Have reported acreage of eligible commodities to FSA for the 2024 crop year planted and prevent plant acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form.
- Have reported acres that were prevented from being planted to FSA for the 2024 crop year on an FSA-576 Notice of Loss form (if applicable).
Payments made through the ECAP are based on reported crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year including:
- wheat
- corn
- sorghum
- barley
- oats
- upland cotton
- extra-long staple cotton
- long grain rice
- medium grain rice
- peanuts
- soybeans
- dry peas
- lentils
- small chickpeas
- large chickpeas
- oilseed (canola, crambe, flax, mustard, rapeseed, safflower, sesame and sunflower.
Agricultural Producers who have not previously reported 2024 crop year acreage or filed a notice of loss for prevent plant crops, must submit an acreage report by the August 15, 2025, deadline.
Important Dates: Application starts March 19-August 15 2025
How To Apply
- Pre-filled ECAP applications will be mailed to all producers with a reported eligible commodity as of March 10, 2025.
- After verifying and completing Form FSA-63 ECAP producers should submit their application to their local FSA county office. Options to submit ECAP applications include: In-person Electronically using Box and One-span Fax The online application (available on March 19, 2025) using a secure login.gov account
- One application will cover a producer’s entire operation nationwide
For more information, visit the USDA website.
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