The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that funding appropriated by Congress through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) would be rolled out to agricultural producers this week. The announcement, made on National Agriculture Day, commits the $10 billion in funds through the Farm Service Agency for the 2024 crop year to help producers deal with the impacts of falling commodity prices and increased costs of inputs. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Producers are facing higher costs and market uncertainty, and the Trump Administration is ensuring they get the support they need without delay. 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.” These funds were authorized by the American Relief Act and are based on 2024 planted and prevented planted crop acres for those eligible commodities. In an effort to increase the speed of the ECAP disbursements, FSA is sending pre-filled applications to producers who submitted acreage reports for 2024 eligible ECAP commodities after the signup period opens on March 19, 2025, or producers can visit the FSA website to apply using their login.gov credentials or by contacting their local FSA office after March 19, 2025.