Enrollment Period Begins for USDA’s Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program 

HONOLULU, Hawaii, July 7, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Hawaii opened enrollment today for the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program (RTCP) for fiscal year 2025. The enrollment period begins July 7 and will run through Sept. 30. The deadline for producers to provide supporting documentation is Nov. 3, 2025.  

RTCP helps U.S. farmers and ranchers offset a portion of the cost of transporting agricultural products over long distances.

“The Regional Transportation Cost Payment Program is a real lifeline for producers, helping cover the extra transportation costs that can add up fast,” said Shirley Nakamura, Farm Service Agency (FSA) Deputy State Executive Director in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. “This crucial financial support puts Farmers First by keeping farmers and ranchers competitive, especially in remote or high-cost areas.”

The Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 authorized $3.5 million for RTCP and allows farmers and livestock producers in Alaska, Hawaii and insular areas including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands of the United States, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and Republic of Palau, to recover costs to transport agricultural commodities or inputs used to produce an agricultural commodity. 

Roughly $3.5 million was issued to more than 1,100 producers, in all eligible areas combined, through the 2024 RTCP.   

RTCP payments are calculated based on the costs incurred for transportation of agricultural commodities or inputs during a 12-month period, subject to an $8,000 per producer cap per fiscal year. A higher payment cap may be determined if claims for payments do not exceed available funding. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to submit all eligible receipts. If claims for payments exceed the funds available from the program for a fiscal year, payments will be reduced on a pro-rata basis.  

Farmers and livestock producers interested in participating in RTCP can obtain applications and other documents by calling toll-free 1-866-794-1079.   

More Information

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.    

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