ECAP - Emergency Commodity Assistance Program

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.

Eligible Acreage

• Acreage reported as intended for harvest, haying, grazing, silage, or other similar purpose is eligible.
• 50 percent 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
• In cases where the same acreage of a commodity was reported with two different intended uses, FSA will not issue duplicate payments for that acreage based on each intended use and the ECAP application will need to be adjusted to reflect one planting and intended use. If both intended uses were reported by the same producer, the producer will receive one payment based on the eligible acres of the commodity. If the two different intended uses were reported by two different producers, the producer with responsibility for input expenses for the acres will be eligible.

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).

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.

Applying for ECAP

ECAP applicants can:

• Review and sign the pre-filled ECAP application mailed to producers who reported acreage of eligible commodities to FSA for the 2024 crop year and return to their FSA county office by one of the following methods:
  • In-person
  • Electronically using Box and One-span
  • Email
  • Fax
• Complete an application online at fsa.usda.gov/ecap using a secure login.gov account.
• Visit a local FSA county office to request an application.

Only one application is required for all ECAP eligible commodities nationwide.

Producers must have the following forms on file with FSA for the 2024 crop year:

• Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet
• Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable)
• Form CCC-902I (if applicable), Farm Operating Plan for an Individual
• Form CCC-902E (if applicable), Farm Operating Plan for an entity
• Form CCC-943, 75 percent of Average Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification (if applicable)
• AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification
• SF-3881, ACH Vendor/ Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form (Direct Deposit)

Except for the new Form CCC-943, most producers, especially those who have previously participated in FSA programs, will likely have these forms on file. However, those who are uncertain and want to confirm the status of their forms or need to submit the new Form-943, can contact their local FSA county office.

Payment Limitations

As provided by the American Relief Act, 2025, the total amount of ECAP payments received, directly or indirectly, by a person or legal entity (except a joint venture or general partnership) may not exceed:

• $125,000, if less than 75 percent 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 percent 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.
• Gross income will be calculated based on the applicable three-year average (2020, 2021, and 2022) of the reported “total income” on IRS forms 1040, 1041, 1065, and 1120, or similar forms.
• A payment made to a legal entity will be attributed to those members who have a direct or indirect ownership interest in the legal entity, unless the payment of the legal entity has been reduced by the proportionate ownership interest of the member due to that member’s ineligibility.
• These payment limitations are separate from the payment limitations that apply to other programs

ECAP Payments and Calculator

Payments will be issued as applications are approved and will be calculated using a flat payment rate for the eligible commodity multiplied by the eligible reported acres. Initial ECAP payments will be factored by 85 percent to ensure total program payments do not exceed available funding. Payments are based on acreage and not production. For prevent plant acreage, ECAP will be limited to 50 percent of reported or determined acres. If additional funds remain FSA may issue a second payment.

For an ECAP payment estimate, producers are encouraged to visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to use the ECAP online calculator.