Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) – Deadline August 15

Overview

Authorized by the American Relief Act 2025, the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides economic assistance payments to eligible agricultural commodity producers for the 2024 crop year.  These payments help producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.

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Eligible Acreage

• Acreage reported as intended for harvest, haying, grazing, silage, or other similar purpose is eligible.
• 50% of the acreage on the farm reported as prevented from being planted.
• In cases where an initial eligible commodity failed or was prevented from being planted and the producer planted a subsequent eligible commodity for the 2024 crop year, eligible acreage is limited to the initial crop.
• Acreage reported as a planted or prevented planted subsequent eligible commodity after an initial crop that is not an eligible commodity or a fruit, vegetable, or wild rice, and the combination is not an approved double cropping situation (for example, an initial crop of mixed forage followed by a subsequent crop of corn).
• Acreage that has been reported with both an initial commodity and a double crop commodity will be eligible for payment on both plantings, if in an approved double cropping combination.
• Acreage that has been reported with both an insured initial small grain crop that was intentionally destroyed before harvest by grazing or other means and is timely reported to the producer’s crop insurance provider and is then followed with a subsequent eligible commodity that is not an approved double crop scenario, is eligible for payment on both plantings of eligible commodities.

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Producer Eligibility

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 using 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 (if applicable).

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ECAP Frequently Asked Questions

 Note: Producers who have not previously reported 2024 crop year acreage or filed a notice of loss for prevented planted crops, must submit an acreage report by the August 15, 2025, deadline.