Stage 2 of USDA Disaster Assistance is Available Soon

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the details of “Stage 2” of the $16 billion it’s handing out via the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program. This payout covers crop, tree, bush and vine losses that were not covered under Stage 1 program provisions, including non-indemnified (shallow loss), uncovered and quality losses.

The enrollment period for Stage 2 opens Nov. 24, 2025 and the window for both stages closes April 30, 2026.

The Stage 2 funding, which was announced just days after the federal government emerged from its longest shutdown in history, comes in addition to the $9.3 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program payments for row crop farmers and $705 million of Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments for livestock producers this year. 

That first stage, announced in July, remains available to producers who received an indemnity under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program for eligible crop losses due to qualifying 2023 and 2024 natural disaster events.

“USDA is doing whatever it takes to make good on President Trump’s promise to expedite disaster recovery assistance to U.S. farmers and ranchers, ensuring viability, prosperity, and longevity for these men and women who dedicate their entire lives to our nation’s food, fiber and fuel production,” Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a statement. The majority of payments from the first stage are already in the hands of producers helping them prepare for and invest in the next crop year.”

The Farm Service Agency is establishing block grants with Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts that cover crop losses; therefore, producers with losses on land physically located in these states are not eligible for SDRP program payments.

The Milk Loss Program also provides up to $1.65 million in payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market because of a qualifying natural disaster event in 2023 and/or 2024.

Producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities while stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event may be eligible for assistance through the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, which provides for up to $5 million to impacted producers.

The enrollment period to apply for milk and on-farm stored commodity losses is Nov. 24, 2025, through Jan. 23, 2026. Information and fact sheets for both programs are available online for milk loss and here for on-farm stored commodity losses.