Additional financial support is being rolled out to American farmers grappling with economic strain, including rising production costs and fluctuating market conditions. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced at the Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City that the remaining $2 billion from the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) will be disbursed within the week. The initiative aims to help agricultural producers manage challenges stemming from elevated input expenses and declining commodity prices tied to the 2024 growing season.
To date, the USDA has delivered over $8 billion in ECAP payments nationwide. Initial disbursements were calculated at 85% of eligible amounts to ensure the total program spending remained within the $10 billion budget. With leftover funds available, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now issuing a second payment.
According to Brooke Appleton, Deputy Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, this additional disbursement will amount to approximately 14% of each farmer’s total ECAP award, bringing the cumulative payout rate to 99%. Eligible recipients who have already received their first payment and have approved applications will automatically receive the supplementary funds.
Farmers with ECAP applications approved after September 25 will receive their full allocation in a single payment rather than two installments.
Rollins also highlighted the ongoing impact of the Special Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which supports producers affected by crop losses due to qualifying disasters in 2023 and 2024. Since March, these relief efforts have injected $13.5 billion into rural economies—$5.5 billion through SDRP to more than 344,000 farmers and over $8 billion via ECAP to over 560,000 agricultural operators. SDRP assistance is being delivered in two phases: Stage 1 covers indemnified losses, while Stage 2 addresses uncovered, quality-related, or partial yield reductions.
— news from texasfarmbureau.org
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USDA issuing second economic assistance payments to farmers
By Jessica Domel n nMultimedia Reporter n nAdditional help is on the way for U.S. farmers impacted by economic pressures like high input costs. n nU.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins gave an on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) at the recent Ag Outlook Forum in Kansas City. n n“I’m excited to announce that the remaining $2 billion of ECAP funding will be delivered within the week. As producers continue to face market volatility, the ECAP program has helped them navigate the economic challenges that they/you faced in 2024, hopefully making it slightly easier to secure financing for the next crop year,” Rollins said. n nprovides economic assistance payments to help farmers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices based on the 2024 crop. n nAccording to USDA, more than $8 billion in payments have been made to date through ECAP. n nInitial ECAP payments were factored by 85% to ensure total program payments did not exceed the $10 billion in available funding. n n“Since additional funds remain, FSA is issuing a second payment,” said Brooke Appleton, Deputy Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Brooke Appleton. n nThe additional payment should be equal to 14% of the gross ECAP payment to eligible farmers, making the final payment factor 99%. n nPayments will automatically be made to eligible farmers with approved ECAP applications who have already received an initial payment. n nECAP applications approved after Sept. 25 will be made in one lump sum instead of two payments. n nRollins also gave an at the event. n n“Relief under the ECAP and SDRP is hopefully already reaching many of our farms and ranches, and where help is still needed, we are exploring every option available,” Rollins said. n nSDRP is helping producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes or vines due to qualifying disaster events in 2023 and 2024. n n“Since March, these programs have distributed $13.5 billion into the American countryside, including more than $5.5 billion to over 344,000 farmers through the SDRP and more than $8 billion to over 560,000 farmers through the ECAP across the country,” Rollins said. n nSDRP funding is being administered in two stages. Stage 1 is for indemnified losses while Stage 2 is for uncovered, quality or shallow losses.