The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides economic loss assistance for covered commodities based on 2024 planted and prevented planted acres.

Important Dates

– March 19, 2025: Sign-up began
– August 15, 2025: Sign-up ends

The American Relief Act of 2025, Pub. L. No. 118-158 (the Act), signed into law on Dec. 21, 2024, provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture with more than $30 billion to deliver disaster recovery assistance to farmers and livestock producers.

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 a CCC-576, Notice of Loss (if applicable).

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.

Payment Limitations

$125,000 if less than 75% of the average gross income of the person or legal entity for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 tax years is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry activities; and

$250,000 if not less than 75% of the average gross income of the person or legal entity for the 2020, 2021, and 2022 tax years is derived from farming, ranching, or forestry activities.

For more details and access to the online application and calculation tool, go to fsa.usda.gov/ecap and log-in using a secure login.gov account. You may also visit a local FSA county office to request an application.

For more details on this program and others, go to www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/20232024-supplemental-disaster-assistance.