Agricultural producers impacted by severe natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for much-needed relief through the USDA’s new Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), a $16 billion initiative designed to fast-track aid to farmers who suffered crop, tree, and vine losses. The program will be rolled out in two stages, with Stage One applications opening on July 10 at Farm Service Agency (FSA) county offices.
To streamline the process, pre-filled applications have already been mailed to eligible producers as of July 9. These applications leverage existing crop loss data from the Risk Management Agency (RMA)and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) to reduce administrative burden.
“American farmers are no stranger to natural disasters that cause losses that leave no region or crop unscathed,” said Agriculture Secretary Rollins. “Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has worked around the clock to deliver this relief directly to our farmers.”
The SDRP is part of a broader $30 billion disaster relief initiative announced by Secretary Rollins earlier this year and aims to correct what he described as long delays in previous federal relief efforts. According to USDA data, similar programs under the prior administration took up to 19 months to reach producers.
Who Is Eligible?
SDRP Stage One is open to producers who:
- Incurred eligible crop, tree, or vine losses in 2023 or 2024
- Were covered under NAP or crop insurance
- Experienced losses from natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, drought, winter storms, smoke exposure, and more
For drought-related losses, the affected county must have been classified by the U.S. Drought Monitor as experiencing D2 (severe drought) for at least eight consecutive weeks or worse (D3 or higher).
Producers in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts are excluded from SDRP but will instead receive assistance through state-managed block grants funded by the American Relief Act.
Payment Calculations
Stage One payments will:
- Be based on existing crop loss data
- Cover up to 90% of the loss, with a 35% payment factor applied
- Be offset by any prior NAP or insurance indemnities received (minus premiums and fees)
If additional funds remain after initial disbursements, FSA may issue a second round of payments.
Future Requirements
All recipients of SDRP payments must commit to purchasing federal crop insurance or NAP coverage at 60% or higherfor the next two available crop years. Failure to meet this requirement will result in full repayment of the SDRP benefit plus interest.
Stage Two Coming This Fall
Stage Two of SDRP will address uncovered and shallow losses, including quality-related losses not previously indemnified. Details and application guidance for this second phase are expected to be released in early fall.
Additional USDA Support
To date, USDA has already distributed:
- $7.8 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payments
- $1 billion+ through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for grazing losses due to drought and wildfire
How to Apply
Farmers should:
- Contact their local USDA Service Center starting July 10
- Submit Form FSA-526 for SDRP Stage One
- Ensure all other required documentation is on file with FSA
More information—including the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, fact sheets, and weekly payment updates—can be found at farmers.gov.
Bottom line: This major investment aims to deliver faster, more direct aid to America’s agricultural backbone—while helping producers weather future disasters with stronger coverage and better resilience.