The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a significant boost in disaster relief payments for farmers and ranchers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins confirmed the USDA will issue a second Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) payment, increasing the payment rate for producers who have approved claims.
The USDA is raising the SDRP payment factor from 35% to 70%. This means producers with approved applications will now receive an additional 35% of their calculated SDRP payment. Future payments will also be made at this 70% rate.
In addition, the USDA is extending the deadline for SDRP Stage 1 and Stage 2 applications to August 12, 2026, giving producers more time to adjust their applications and ensure they receive the maximum benefit.
So far, the USDA has provided over $6.7 billion in SDRP payments to help producers recover from natural disasters. This is part of the larger efforts by the USDA, including the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and Emergency Livestock Relief Program, which have contributed a combined $17.9 billion in support.
SDRP payments are available for losses caused by a variety of natural disasters, including wildfires, hurricanes, floods, and droughts, among others. To qualify for drought-related assistance, affected areas must have been designated as having severe or extreme drought conditions.
SDRP has two stages. Stage 1 covers crop losses eligible for indemnity under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the 2023 and 2024 disaster events. Stage 2 includes crop, tree, bush, and vine losses that weren’t covered in Stage 1, including quality losses and shallow losses.
Farmers impacted by the 2023 and 2024 natural disasters can still apply for assistance through these stages. However, producers in states like Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts, which have block grants covering crop losses, are not eligible for SDRP payments.
This move aims to strengthen financial support for U.S. farmers, as the USDA continues to push for recovery in the face of a challenging farm economy.