The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a second round of Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payments for the 2024 crop year, providing additional support for producers facing market volatility, rising input costs, and falling commodity prices.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already distributed more than $8 billion of the $10 billion authorized for ECAP. With funds remaining, this second payment will bring total assistance up to 99% of eligible payment levels for producers who applied through the program earlier this year.
How the Second Payment Works
-
Automatic Payments: Producers who previously received an initial ECAP payment will automatically get the second payment — no additional action required.
-
One Lump Sum for Late Approvals: Applications approved after September 25, 2025, will receive a single combined payment.
-
Calculation: ECAP payments are based on planted or prevented planted acres for eligible commodities in 2024, not on actual production. Prevented planted acres are paid at 50%.
The second payment factor equals 14% of the total ECAP amount, raising the final assistance level to 99%.
Additional Relief Programs
Beyond ECAP, USDA has delivered more than $1 billion through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for producers impacted by drought and wildfires, with another $1 billion expected for those affected by floods and other disasters in 2023 and 2024. Livestock producers have until October 31, 2025 to apply for this assistance.
Producers have also received over $5.4 billion through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for crop losses, with Stage 2 payments for uncovered and quality losses coming soon.
Why It Matters
For crop producers — and livestock producers indirectly affected by feed costs — this second ECAP payment provides much-needed financial stability as the industry heads into the next crop year. USDA’s ongoing relief efforts are designed to help producers manage risk, secure financing, and recover from recent natural disasters.
