The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has launched the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to provide direct payments to eligible producers who grew specific grain commodities in 2024. Payments will be issued to producers who filed a 2024 acreage report with FSA that includes one or more of the listed commodities. If you’ve already reported your acreage, no action is needed now—FSA will send notification letters to eligible producers. If you did not file a 2024 acreage report, there’s still time to do so. Late-filed acreage reports may still be accepted, which means some growers who haven’t yet reported could become eligible. For more information or to file a late acreage report, contact the Maine Farm Service Agency at (207) 990-9154.

**Press Release**

USDA Expediting $10 Billion in Direct Economic Assistance to Agricultural Producers

(Washington, D.C., March 18, 2025) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, on National Agriculture Day, announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is issuing up to $10 billion directly to agricultural producers through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) for the 2024 crop year. Administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.

“Producers are facing higher costs and market uncertainty, and the Trump Administration is ensuring they get the support they need without delay,” said Secretary Rollins. “With clear direction from Congress, USDA has prioritized streamlining the process and accelerating these payments ahead of schedule, ensuring farmers have the resources necessary to manage rising expenses and secure financing for next season.”

Authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, these economic relief payments are based on planted and prevented planted crop acres for eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year. To streamline and simplify the delivery of ECAP, FSA will begin sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports to FSA for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities soon after the signup period opens on March 19, 2025. Producers do not have to wait for their pre-filled ECAP application to apply. They can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap to apply using a login.gov account or contact their local FSA office to request an application once the signup period opens.-Read More-

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