USDA Extends Deadline to Submit Documentation for the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program

(Gainesville, Fla., Nov. 6, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has extended the deadline for producers in the U.S. Virgin Islands who applied to the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP) program by Sept. 30, 2026, to submit supporting documentation for fiscal year 2026. Applicants now have until Dec. 3, 2026, to submit supporting documentation to their local FSA county offices. The RTCP program helps U.S. farmers and livestock producers offset a portion of the cost of transporting agricultural products over long distances.

Producers are required to submit documentation that substantiates the transportation cost incurred for the transportation of each agricultural commodity or input. Eligible verifiable records supporting transportation costs include, but are not limited to:

• account statements

• bill of lading

• contractual agreements

• financial statements

• invoices

• retail sales receipts.

"Producers in the U.S. Virgin Islands have faced multiple disaster conditions and recovery efforts this year, which can make it difficult to gather the necessary documentation," said Marcinda Kester, FSA State Executive Director in Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands. "The financial support provided by this program is more crucial than ever and we want to ensure that every applicant has time to complete the required paperwork."

The Continuing Appropriations, Agriculture, Legislative Branch, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Extensions Act of 2026 authorized $3.5 million for the RTCP program 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.

FSA issued roughly $3.3 million to more than 1,200 producers, in all eligible areas combined, through RTCP program in 2025.

Payments are calculated based on the costs incurred for the transportation of agricultural commodities or inputs during the applicable Fiscal Year, 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.

More Information

To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local FSA office or fsa.usda.gov/fsa-office-locator.