From the USDA website: 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). These one-time economic assistance payments will help commodity producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices. 

Who Is Eligible:

To be eligible, 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 a CCC-576 Notice of Loss form (if applicable). 

Note: 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.  

Click here to learn more and to apply.