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

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March 19, 2025

Marking National Agriculture Day, Secretary Rollins Prioritizes Timely Support for Farmers.

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.

Eligible Commodities and Payment Rates

The commodities below are eligible for these per-acre payment rates:

 Wheat – $30.69 Eligible oilseeds:
 Corn – $42.91  Canola – $31.83
 Sorghum – $42.52  Crambe – $19.08
 Barley – $21.67  Flax – $20.97
 Oats – $77.66  Mustard – $11.36
 Upland cotton & Extra-long staple cotton – $84.74  Rapeseed – $23.63

 Long & medium grain rice – $76.94  Safflower – $26.32
 Peanuts – $75.51  Sesame – $16.83
 Soybeans – $29.76  Sunflower – $27.23
 Dry peas – $16.02
 Lentils – $19.30
 Small Chickpeas – $31.45
 Large Chickpeas – $24.02

Producer Eligibility

Eligible producers must report 2024 crop year planted and prevented planted acres to FSA on an FSA-578, Report of Acreage form. 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 Aug. 15, 2025, deadline. Eligible producers can visit fsa.usda.gov/ecap for eligibility and payment details.

Applying for ECAP

Producers must submit ECAP applications to their local FSA county office by Aug. 15, 2025.
Only one application is required for all ECAP eligible commodities nationwide. ECAP
applications can be submitted to FSA in-person, electronically using Box and One-Span, by fax or by applying online at fsa.usda.gov/ecap utilizing a secure login.gov account.

If not already on file for the 2024 crop year, producers must have the following forms on file with FSA:

 Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.
 Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).
 Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal 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, Direct Deposit.

Except for the new CCC-943, most producers, especially those who have previously
participated in FSA programs, 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.

If a producer does not receive a pre-filled ECAP application, and they planted or were
prevented from planting ECAP eligible commodities in 2024, they should contact their local
FSA office.

ECAP Payments and Calculator

ECAP payments will be issued as applications are approved. Initial ECAP payments will be
factored by 85% to ensure that total program payments do not exceed available funding. If
additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.

ECAP assistance will be calculated using a flat payment rate for the eligible commodity
multiplied by the eligible reported acres. Payments are based on acreage and not production. For acres reported as prevented plant, ECAP assistance will be calculated at 50%.

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

To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
Producers can also prepare maps for acreage reporting as well as manage farm loans and view other farm records data and customer information by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today.

FSA helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners invest in, improve, protect and expand their agricultural operations through the delivery of agricultural programs for all Americans. FSA implements agricultural policy, administers credit and loan programs, and manages conservation, commodity, disaster recovery and marketing programs through a national network of state and county offices and locally elected county committees. For more information, visit fsa.usda.gov.

Governor Laura Kelly and KDA Declare March 19 Kansas Agriculture Trade Day

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Guest Columnist

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March 19, 2025

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Governor Laura Kelly has declared March 19 as Kansas Agriculture Trade Day, in recognition of the enormous contribution agriculture trade makes to the state’s economy, farmers, and communities. Kansas Agriculture Trade Day honors Kansas’ farmers, ranchers, and related agricultural businesses and the role they play in feeding the globe.

Kansas’ agricultural producers are among the most productive in the world and play a vital role in food security both here and abroad. Agriculture is a central driver of the Kansas economy, with the state ranking among the top producers of sorghum, wheat and beef cattle.

Governor Kelly described the unique contribution that international trade in agriculture plays in the state in the text of the declaration, noting that “Kansas farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses contribute to international trade through innovation, sustainability and commitment to high quality agricultural products.”

Kansas exported over $4.75 billion in agricultural products to 94 countries in 2024, ranking 8th in the U.S. for agricultural exports. The top destinations for Kansas exports are Mexico, Japan, China, Canada and South Korea.

In honor of Kansas Agriculture Trade Day, Kansans are encouraged to visit agriculture.ks.gov/international to learn how KDA helps to promote and develop international markets for Kansas producers. And visit www.FarmersforFreeTrade.com to learn more about the role trade plays in supporting farmers in Kansas and across the nation.

TMI

By

Lee Pitts

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March 19, 2025

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We are told that consumers want to know everything about the food they eat, from the time its was planted or impregnated until the time it reaches their plate. I think we have to be very careful in how we meet the consumer’s wishes or it could backfire on us.

Follow along with me now as we join the Wilson family as they are gathered around the dinner table to enjoy a scrumptious prime rib. Instead of saying grace before dinner Mrs. Wilson scanned a bar code on the beef package so they could put a face to the food they were about to enjoy.

A computer screen came to life and as music faded away there appeared on the screen a black-faced calf that said, “Hi, I’m Blizzard and I was born in North Dakota in the middle of a blizzard. I survived but my mother didn’t.”

The youngest Wilson girl dabbed her eyes with a napkin and said, “Oh, the poor thing. He’s so cute.”

Blizzard continued, “I never knew my father and my mother didn’t either because she got raped repeatedly by several brutish thugs at the time of my conception. I’d have given anything to have known my father, to have him explain the birds and the bees, or show me where to hide when the cowboys came to gather us all up. But like many modern American males these days, he skipped town wanted nothing to do with his offspring.”

Suddenly what was a joyous Wilson family dinner now turned into a soap opera. As they were about to dig into the prime rib one by one the family members put their forks down and sat in rapt attention as Blizzard continued with his autobiography. “Here I am in the bathtub of the family that owned the ranch I was born on. They are pouring hot water on me to warm me up. For the first weeks of my life I lived in close proximity with this kind family of five who bottle fed me at all hours of the night. There I am curled up in front of their fireplace. I lived in the barn until I was turned out with the herd. The rest of the calves called me names like”dogie” and I felt lonely a lot. Occasionally I’d try to sneak a drink off the other cows when they weren’t looking but I grew tired of being kicked in the head. Then the rest of the calves were weaned off their mothers and it was their turn to cry. But I had no mother to cry for and I had long ago lost the urge to suckle.”

Mr. Wilson looked at his prime rib and wondered if this wasn’t a case of TMI… too much information.

“For the most part,” continued Blizzard, “I was treated well except when they gave me shots, branded and castrated me. There’s a photo of me sprawled on the ground as some cowboy took away my manhood. It didn’t hurt as much as you’d think but I did lose all interest in heifers from then on.”

“Here I am being loaded on a truck with the other calves, bound for a feedlot in Nebraska. Life at the feedlot was like living in a commune with a cafeteria that was open 24 hours a day and we could eat all we wanted. Being the runt of the litter I had few friends in my pen, except for the cowboy who rode through the pen on frequent checks to make sure we were all okay. There was lots of gossip about where we were going next, some cattle concentration camp it was rumored, but I didn’t believe them. If you are eating me now I guess the rumors were true.”

As Blizzard’s story came to a close the Wilson’s turned their attention back to the prime rib but they’d lost their appetite for beef so someone in the family called and ordered a take-out pizza. A vegetarian pizza! And the next day someone removed all the packages of Blizzard’s beef from the freezer figuring the poor calf had enough cold weather for one lifetime. From then on whenever Mrs. Wilson bought beef, if she bought it at all, she made sure it was from Uruguay or Australia that she knew absolutely nothing about.

St. Patrick’s Day: Time to rock your shamrock knowledge

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Guest Columnist

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March 18, 2025

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If a leprechaun leaps from the faerie den this St. Patrick’s Day to ask if you know a shamrock from a clover, what will you answer?

“If you said the shamrock is a clover, you’re in luck,” says University of Missouri Extension field horticulturist Kathi Mecham.

In short, all shamrocks are clovers, but not all clovers are shamrocks.

The word shamrock comes from the Gaelic word semróg, which translates to “little clover.” Shamrocks are the most common and recognizable symbols of Ireland.

While a shamrock is a clover with three leaflets, some clovers have four leaves and are thought to bring luck to anyone who finds one. “There is about a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a four-leaf clover,” says Mecham. As an Irish proverb says, “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover: hard to find and lucky to have.” Even rarer is the five-leaf clover.

By most accounts, the original shamrock is thought to be either yellow clover (Trifolium dubium) or white clover (Trifolium repens). Both plants have three oval green leaflets with tiny, ball-shaped floral clusters.

Clover draws bees, butterflies and other pollinators to the nectar of its lightly scented flowers.

“The shamrock has long been a part of Irish history and culture,” says Mecham. Legend has it that the Emerald Isle’s patron saint, Patrick, used the three-leaf clover to teach about the Holy Trinity of Christianity: Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

Around St. Patrick’s Day, grocery stores or floral shops will sell an attractive “shamrock plant.” This imposter is a plant from the genus Oxalis, a member of the wood sorrel family. It hails from mountainous regions of South and Central America, not Ireland.

Oxalis triangularis looks like clover with its three triangular leaflets. This eye-catching plant produces small white to pink flowers. Its leaves may be green, variegated or deep maroon.

While true shamrock has a fibrous root system, many oxalis species produce tubers, or bulb-like structures, says David Trinklein, MU Extension state horticulturist. “In fact, the plump, juicy tubers of Oxalis tuberosa have long been cultivated as a food source in Colombia and other South American countries. Referred to as oca by people indigenous to the area, it is second only to potato in acreage planted in the Central Andean region.”

Shamrocks prefer a porous medium that is barely moist. Fertilize only when growing. Place in indirect bright light to keep plants from becoming leggy. However, too much sun scorches the tender leaves.

Oxalis’ leaves begin to decline after a few months. Don’t despair, says Mecham. Your plant just needs a rest. When leaves start to die back, stop watering and allow leaves to dry. Remove the dead leaves and put the plant in a cool, dark spot for 2-3 months. Purple-leaf plants only need about a month’s dormancy. After the rest period, move the plant back to a window and begin watering again.

The leaves of oxalis and other shamrock plants fold up at night and reopen in the morning light, giving a wee “top o’ the morning” tip of the hat to its owner.

“With the right care, this attractive houseplant can be enjoyed for years,” says Mecham.

For more history of the oxalis, see “Oxalis: Shamrock’s Imposter” at https://ipm.missouri.edu/meg/2019/3/oxalis/.

Learn more about another favorite Irish plant, Bells of Ireland, at https://extension.missouri.edu/news/bells-of-ireland-a-st-patricks-day-favorite.