Commodity farmers can apply for emergency economic relief

Producers of certain commodities can apply by Aug. 15 to receive emergency economic assistance.

USDA recently implemented the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year.

Congress passed the American Relief Act of 2025 in December, appropriating $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers.

The payments are intended to provide partial compensation to support growers following a downturn in commodity markets in 2024 and lack of passage of a new farm bill, according to an Oregon Wheat newsletter to growers.

USDA will send pre-filled applications to producers whose information is already on file using 2024 acreage reporting data.

In the first round of payments, producers will receive 85% of their total eligible amount, according to the Oregon Wheat newsletter. The remaining 15% will be issued as a second payment if money remains after the application window closes in August.

Payment rates for other eligible commodities include:

Wheat: $30.69 per acre

Cotton: $84.74 per acre

Oats: $77.66 per acre

Rice: $76.94 per acre

Peanuts: $75.51 per acre

Corn: $42.91 per acre

Sorghum: $42.52 per acre

Canola: $31.83 per acre

Small chickpeas: $31.45 per acre
Large chickpeas: $24.02 per acre

Soybeans: $29.76 per acre

Sunflower: $27.23 per acre

Sesame: $27.23 per acre

Barley: $21.67 per acre

Lentils: $19.30 per acre

Chandler Goule, CEO of the National Association of Wheat Growers, in a press release thanked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and USDA for working to deliver the “crucial” assistance in a timely manner.

“NAWG is proud to have worked with key stakeholders and Congress to ensure this critical assistance was included in last year’s continuing resolution,” Goule stated. “While this ad hoc assistance is much needed, the short-term relief cannot replace a robust long-term farm bill.”
NAWG continues to urge lawmakers to work quickly to pass a farm bill that strengthens the farm safety net.

Farmers can apply for ECAP through the USDA Farm Service Agency.

To be eligible, producers must be actively engaged in farming, have interest in input expenses for a covered commodity, have reported acreage of eligible commodities to FSA for the 2024 crop year and have reported acres that were prevented from being planted to FSA for the 2024 crop year.

Farmers must submit an acreage report by Aug. 15.