The U.S. Department of Agriculture 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, ECAP will help agricultural producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.

Before signing your ECAP application, check to see if your double-cropped acres were included. The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) covers eligible crop acreage for both the 1st and 2nd crop, when grown in approved double-crop rotations, and acreage from both eligible commodities should be included on the application. If not, check to see if the acres are in an approved county, and work with USDA-FSA to make any appropriate updates before you sign. Why? In Kansas, the USDA-FSA defines double-cropping as producing two or more crops for harvest on the same acreage within the same crop year, which is designated by the calendar year in which the insured crop is normally harvested. Thus, soybeans or grain sorghum grown after wheat, can be considered a double-crop for ECAP purposes as long as it is insurable (following RMA guidelines by county). If farming in multiply counties, you must be aware of the specific situation for each county.

  • Double-cropping under irrigation is an approved rotation throughout Kansas and should automatically have been coded D (double-crop) on the application.
  • Dryland is more complicated.
    • IF double-cropping is insurable, and the farmer shows proof that the 2nd crop was insured, then FSA will code it with a D and the acres are eligible for ECAP.
      • Note: if the crop is insurable by written or blanket written agreement, the producer must show proof of the written agreement (for example in both Saline and Dickinson counties, grain sorghum is insurable via a Blanket Written Agreement, while soybeans are insurable as part of the policy available and should automatically have been coded D).
    • IF double-cropping is not insurable, then the 2nd crop is considered a “subsequent crop” (i.e., a covered commodity followed by a covered commodity) and FSA will code it with a J, and the acres are not eligible for ECAP.
      • Note: in counties where double-cropping is NOT insurable, but the producer short rated their wheat and double-cropped (711 fields in KS), FSA will code it with a J but WILL allow the 2nd crop to be eligible for ECAP. 
  • Double-cropping insurability maps

For more information, visit the following resources: