USDA Opens Applications for Disaster Aid Payments

Producers who suffered losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can begin applying for disaster aid payments through the package Congress passed in December. 

The program, referred to as the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, will be administered in two stages. 

The first application stage begins this week for producers with eligible crop losses caused by hurricanes, wildfires and other weather events who received assistance under crop insurance or the noninsured crop disaster assistance program. The second stage will begin in the fall for producers with eligible shallow or uncovered losses.

Producers can begin applying for the first stage of payments at county Farm Service Agency offices on Thursday. Pre-filled applications are being mailed to producers today, July 9. 

“Farmers don’t have the luxury of waiting to purchase seed, fuel and fertilizer or to pay their operating note at the bank,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. “We are taking swift action to ensure farmers will have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable, and most abundant food supply in the world.”

The December stopgap spending bill included $100 billion in total disaster assistance, including $21 billion specifically allocated for agricultural losses from hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other weather events.

First-stage payments are based on the SDRP-adjusted federal crop insurance coverage level or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) the producer purchased for the crop. Payments are not to exceed 90% of the loss. If additional SDRP funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.

All producers who receive a first-round payment are required to purchase federal crop insurance or NAP coverage for the next two crop years at or above the 60% coverage level. 

An additional $10 billion in ag economic assistance deemed the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program is also actively being distributed to row crop farmers growing commodities with a gross revenue below the cost of production in the 2024 growing year. 

So far this year, USDA has issued more than $7.8 billion in ECAP payments to more than half a million eligible crop producers. Livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought or wildfires in calendar years 2023 and 2024 have received over $1 billion in emergency relief.

This article was originally published by Agri-Pulse. Agri-Pulse is a trusted source in Washington, D.C., with the largest editorial team focused on food and farm policy coverage.