Louisiana USDA-FSA Updates - June 2025
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I would like to start by saying hello, and by expressing my gratitude to the many farm and community-based organizations, producers, and the current administration for trusting me with this appointment once again. It is an honor to again serve alongside you in this effort to feed the growing world. I know that we have many challenges ahead, but experience also tells me that opportunities are also in our future. I am keenly aware of the vital role that the FSA plays in supporting Louisiana Agriculture and in helping you overcome challenges and take advantage of opportunities!
Having served Louisiana farmers for nearly 40 years, I still feel the same pride today as I did on my initial appointment with the agency. I look forward to rekindling old relationships and building new ones. “It truly is a great day at the FSA”.
Craig McCain
State Executive Director
June 18 – Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) / Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)
1:00-2:00 Central Time
Flower Hill Institute will be hosting “Office Hours” with Farm Service Agency (FSA), to answer questions regarding LIP and LFP. This one-hour Q&A session will be held through Zoom and is open to the general public. Interested attendees can use the following link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/s3kIkq35THihuou5u2KiCA
Anyone can participate, but they must be registered. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Loretta Hinton, Technical Assistance Manager, Flower Hill Institute @ lhinton@flowerhill.institute .
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) will open nominations for county committee members on June 16, 2025 and encourages all farmers, ranchers, and FSA program participants to take part in the Louisiana County Committee election nomination process.
Elections will occur in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA) for members. LAAs are elective areas for FSA committees in a single parish or multi-parish jurisdiction.
Customers can identify which LAA they or their farming or ranching operation is in by using our GIS locator tool available at fsa.usda.gov/elections.
County committee members make important decisions about how Federal farm programs are administered locally. All nomination forms for the 2025 election must be postmarked or received in the local FSA office by Aug. 1, 2025.
Agricultural producers who participate or cooperate in a USDA program and reside in the LAA that is up for election this year, may be nominated for candidacy for the county committee. A cooperating producer is someone who has provided information about their farming or ranching operation to FSA, even if they have not applied or received program benefits.
Individuals may nominate themselves or others and qualifying organizations may also nominate candidates. USDA encourages minority producers, women, and beginning farmers or ranchers to nominate, vote and hold office.
Nationwide, more than 7,700 dedicated members of the agricultural community serve on FSA county committees. The committees are made up of 3 to 11 members who serve three-year terms. Committee members are vital to how FSA carries out disaster programs, as well as conservation, commodity and price support programs, county office employment and other agricultural issues.
For more information on FSA county committee elections, including fact sheets, nomination forms and FAQs, visit fsa.usda.gov/elections.
FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
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Hurricane season is here and runs through Nov. 30. Farmers, ranchers and forest landowners have been significantly impacted by hurricanes in recent years. USDA encourages agricultural producers to prepare for the 2025 season and get familiar with recovery resources.
Get Prepared
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Develop an Emergency Plan: Make sure your employees and members of your household know your plan, including meeting points, emergency contact lists, and alternate evacuation routes in case of infrastructure damage.
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Remove Debris and Secure Large Objects: Most injuries to animals, people, or structures during a hurricane are caused by flying objects. To lessen the risk, minimize the presence of equipment, supplies, and debris that may become airborne during high winds or encountered in floodwaters. Clean out culverts, ditches, and other drainage areas, especially before and during peak hurricane season to reduce water damage.
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Document Inventory and Secure Important Records: It is critical to document inventory of farm buildings, vehicles, equipment, and livestock before a disaster occurs. Take photos, videos, or make written lists with descriptions. Gathering documentation before and after a storm is important for insurance compensation and recovery assistance. You’ll likely need thorough records of any damage and losses sustained on your farm as well as documentation of your cleanup and recovery efforts. Keep copies of these records in multiple places: a computer, off-site in a safe location, and on a cloud-based server.
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Know Your Insurance Options: Regularly review your insurance policies with your agent to be sure you have adequate coverage, including flood insurance, for your facilities, vehicles, farm buildings, equipment, crops and livestock. Note, there are limitations on how soon insurance coverage will take effect. Generally, insurance policies will not cover damage if the policy was not in place before a disaster.
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Gather Supplies: Have drinking water, canned food, a generator, batteries, a flashlight, and fuel available in case you lose power. Have cash on hand in cases of widespread outages, when credit and debit cards may not work.
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Access Real-time Emergency Information: Download the FEMA app for free on the App Store and Google Play for safety tips on what to do before, during, and after disasters.
How USDA Can Help USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Risk Management Agency (RMA) offer a suite of disaster assistance programs to help you recover from the impacts of natural disasters.
Insurance and Risk Protection If you have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance, report crop damage to your crop insurance agent within 72 hours of discovering damage and be sure to follow up in writing within 15 days. For producers with coverage through the RMA’s Hurricane Insurance Protection – Wind Index (HIP-WI) and Tropical Storm Option (TS), payments are generally made within weeks following a hurricane or tropical storm. For more resources, including a recent webinar, visit the HIP-WI webpage.
If you have coverage under the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), you should report crop damage to your local FSA office and file a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.
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USDA announced several Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) enrollment opportunities for agricultural producers and landowners. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting offers for both the General and Continuous CRP today through June 6, 2025.
CRP, USDA’s flagship conservation program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. For four decades, CRP has provided financial and technical support to agricultural producers and landowners who place unproductive or marginal cropland under contract for 10-15 years and who agree to voluntarily convert the land to beneficial vegetative cover to improve water quality, prevent soil erosion and support wildlife habitat. The American Relief Act, 2025, extended provisions for CRP through Sept. 30, 2025.
General CRP (Signup 64)
Agricultural producers and landowners submit offers for General CRP through a competitive bid process. Offers are ranked and scored, by FSA, using nationally established environmental benefits criteria. USDA will announce accepted offers once ranking and scoring for all offers is completed. In addition to annual rental payments, approved General CRP participants may also be eligible for cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP (Signup 63)
Unlike General CRP, Continuous CRP offers are not subject to a competitive bid process. To ensure enrolled acres do not exceed the current statutory cap of 27 million acres, FSA is accepting Continuous CRP offers on a first-come, first-served basis through June 6. However, should allotted CRP acreage remain available following the June 6 deadline, FSA will accept continuous CRP offers from interested landowners through July 31, 2025, and may be subsequently considered for acceptance, in batches, if it’s determined that the offered acres support USDA’s conservation priorities.
Continuous CRP participants voluntarily offer environmentally sensitive lands, typically smaller parcels than offered through General CRP including wetlands, riparian buffers, and varying wildlife habitats. In return, they receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative cover.
Continuous CRP enrollment options:
· Highly Erodible Land Initiative: Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index greater than or equal to 20.
· Clean Lakes, Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative: Prioritizes water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings, and harmful algal blooms. The vegetative covers also contribute to increased wildlife populations.
· CLEAR30 (a component of the CLEAR Initiative): Offers additional incentives for water quality practice adoption and can be accessed in 30-year contracts.
Grassland and Expiring CRP Acres
FSA will announce dates for Grassland CRP signup in the near future.
Additionally, landowners with acres enrolled in CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2025, can offer acres for re-enrollment beginning today. A producer can offer to enroll new acres into CRP and also offer to re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2025.
For more information on CRP participant and land eligibility, approved conservation practices and detailed program fact sheets, visit FSA’s CRP webpage.
More Information Interested producers should apply through the FSA at their local USDA Service Center. Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. Originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production, the program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
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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.
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:
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· Wheat - $30.69
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Eligible oilseeds:
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· Corn - $42.91
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· Canola – $31.83
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· Sorghum - $42.52
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· Crambe – $19.08
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· Barley - $21.67
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· Flax - $20.97
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· Oats - $77.66
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· Mustard - $11.36
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· Upland cotton & Extra-long staple cotton - $84.74
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· Rapeseed -$23.63
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· Long & medium grain rice - $76.94
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· Safflower - $26.32
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· Peanuts - $75.51
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· Sesame - $16.83
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· Soybeans - $29.76
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· Sunflower – $27.23
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· Dry peas - $16.02
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· Lentils - $19.30
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· Small Chickpeas - $31.45
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· Large Chickpeas - $24.02
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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:
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Form AD-2047, Customer Data Worksheet.
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Form CCC-901, Member Information for Legal Entities (if applicable).
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Form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan for an individual or legal entity.
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Form CCC 943, 75 percent of Average Gross Income from Farming, Ranching, or Forestry Certification (if applicable).
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AD-1026, Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and Wetland Conservation (WC) Certification.
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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 CCC-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.
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Program payments may be limited by direct attribution to individuals or entities. A legal entity is defined as an entity created under Federal or State law that owns land or an agricultural commodity, product or livestock.
Through direct attribution, payment limitation is based on the total payments received by a person or legal entity, both directly and indirectly.
Payments and benefits under certain FSA programs are subject to some or all of the following:
- payment limitation by direct attribution (including common attribution)
- payment limitation amounts for the applicable programs
- substantive change requirements when a farming operation adds persons, resulting in an increase in persons to which payment limitation applies
- actively engaged in farming requirements
- cash-rent tenant rule
- foreign person rule
- average AGI limitations
- programs subject to AGI limitation
No program benefits subject to payment eligibility and limitation will be provided until all required forms for the specific situation are provided and necessary payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations are made.
Payment eligibility and payment limitation determinations may be initiated by the County Committee or requested by the producer.
Statutory and Regulatory rules require persons and legal entities, provide the names and Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) for all persons and legal entities with an ownership interest in the farming operation to be eligible for payment.
Payment eligibility and payment limitation forms submitted by persons and legal entities are subject to spot check through FSA’s end-of-year review process.
Persons or legal entities selected for end-of-year review must provide the County Committee with operating loan documents, income and expense ledgers, canceled checks for all expenditures, lease and purchase agreements, sales contracts, property tax statements, equipment listings, lease agreements, purchase contracts, documentation of who provided actual labor and management, employee time sheets or books, crop sales documents, warehouse ledgers, gin ledgers, corporate or entity papers, etc.
A finding that a person or legal entity is not actively engaged in farming results in the person or legal entity being ineligible for any payment or benefit subject to the actively engaged in farming rules.
Noncompliance with AGI provisions, either by exceeding the applicable limitation or failure to submit a certification and consent for disclosure statement, will result in payment ineligibility for all program benefits subject to AGI provisions. Program payments are reduced in an amount that is commensurate with the direct and indirect interest held by an ineligible person or legal entity in any legal entity, general partnership, or joint operation that receives benefits subject to the average AGI limitations.
If any changes occur that could affect an actively engaged in farming, cash-rent tenant, foreign person, or average Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) determination, producers must timely notify the County FSA Office by filing revised farm operating plans and/or supporting documentation, as applicable. Failure to timely notify the County Office may adversely affect payment eligibility.
FSA offers farm ownership, operating and emergency loans with favorable interest rates and terms to help eligible agricultural producers obtain financing needed to start, expand or maintain a family agricultural operation.
Interest rates for Operating and Ownership loans for June 2025 are as follows:
FSA also offers guaranteed loans through commercial lenders at rates set by those lenders. To access an interactive online, step-by-step guide through the farm loan process, visit the Loan Assistance Tool on farmers.gov.
Commodity and Storage Facility Loans
Additionally, FSA provides low-interest financing to producers to build or upgrade on-farm storage facilities and purchase handling equipment and loans that provide interim financing to help producers meet cash flow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are low. Funds for these loans are provided through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and are administered by FSA.
More Information
To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center. Additionally, producers can use online tools, such as the Loan Assistance Tool and Debt Consolidation Tool to explore loan options.
June 19: Office closure for Juneteenth National Independence Day
July 4: Office closure for Independence Day
July 15: Acreage reporting deadline for spring seeded crops
August 1: Last day to request a farm Reconstitution
August 15: Deadline to apply for Emergency Commodity Assistance Program
September 1: Office closure for Labor Day
September 30: Last day to certify 2026 Crawfish
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