by USA Rice

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency launched the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), providing $10 billion in economic relief to producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year.

This program, funded through the American Relief Act of 2025 and secured for rice farmers by USA Rice, aims to support commodity farmers facing economic losses due to declining prices and high input costs and interest rates.

Rice is among the eligible commodities under ECAP, encompassing long grain and medium grain, including temperate japonica, short grain, and sweet rice.  Payments will be calculated based on planted acreage and 50 percent of prevented planted acreage.  The payment rate for rice is $76.94 per acre.

Payments will be determined by multiplying the payment rate per acre by the producer’s eligible acreage.  The first tranche of payments will be prorated at 85 percent, with additional payments issued later in 2025 as funds allow.  Payment limitations are set at $125,000 for producers with less than 75 percent of average gross income derived from agriculture and $250,000 for those meeting or exceeding the 75 percent threshold.

Program sign-up will begin on Wednesday, March 19, and pre-filled applications will be mailed to eligible producers starting in the coming days.  Producers must submit their completed applications electronically or to their local FSA office by August 15, 2025.  Eligibility requires reporting planted and prevented planted acreage on FSA-578 forms and filing a notice of loss (if applicable).

“The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program will provide much-needed relief to rice farmers, with an estimated $200 million being delivered over the course of this program,” said L.G. Raun, a Texas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farmers.  “While this assistance is welcomed and necessary, it is not a substitute for a new farm bill with updated safety net provisions, including a higher rice reference price under the Price Loss Coverage program effective for the 2025 crop year.  We strongly encourage Congress to move expeditiously on the 2025 Farm Bill.”

USA Rice continues its advocacy efforts to ensure long-term stability for rice farmers while working closely with USDA on ECAP implementation.

Additional ECAP details can be found here and an ECAP payment estimation calculator, here.

For more information, contact the CRC’s President & CEO Tim Johnson at tjohnson@calrice.org