Editor
Even today, the iconic line — Show me the money! — from the 1996 Tom Cruise movie Jerry Maguire still resonates in our culture in a multitude of contexts. However, the cotton market doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo as it continues to slug along at far less-than-optimal levels, leaving farmers in a precarious position.
On a positive note, one piece of good news surfaced recently to help brighten the gloomy outlook for cotton.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, its “Farm Service Agency is issuing up to $10 billion in direct payments to eligible agricultural producers of eligible commodities for the 2024 crop year through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program. These one-time economic assistance payments will help commodity producers mitigate the impacts of increased input costs and falling commodity prices.”
For those of you demanding they “show you the money,” the USDA said eligible cotton producers will receive $84.74 per acre. The federal agency also noted that “Initial ECAP payments will be factored by 85% to ensure total program payments do not exceed available funding. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.”
To view all the details, please visit https://www.fsa.usda.gov/ecap. Topics covered include: who is eligible, eligible acreage, commodities and ECAP payment rates (per acre), important dates, how to apply and how it works — ECAP payments and calculator.
Upon hearing the news, the National Cotton Council said it “extends its gratitude to President Trump and Secretary Brooke Rollins for their swift action in providing up to $10 billion in direct economic assistance to agricultural
producers.”
You’ve seen that the money is earmarked, so the next step is to submit your application to the local FSA county office by Aug. 15, 2025.
Now, if they would just show us a Farm Bill!