USDA Expands Support for Producers

By Scout Nelson

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will begin accepting applications for several disaster assistance programs on November 24. These programs are designed to help producers recover from natural disaster losses that occurred in 2023 and 2024.

Enrollment for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) Stage Two, the Milk Loss Program, and the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program will run from November 24, 2025, through January 23, 2026. Applications for SDRP Stage One and Stage Two will remain open until April 30, 2026.

Beginning November 24, producers can apply for SDRP Stage Two. This stage provides help for eligible crops, tree, bush, and vine losses that were not covered under Stage One. These include shallow losses, uncovered losses, and quality losses. Full details and fact sheets for SDRP are available through USDA FSA.

SDRP Stage One, which opened in July, continues to accept applications from producers who received crop insurance or NAP indemnities related to 2023 and 2024 disaster events. Both Stage One and Stage Two will close on April 30, 2026. 

USDA is also setting up block grants with Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts for crop losses. Producers with land in these states will not qualify for SDRP payments.

Two more disaster recovery programs will also begin enrollment on November 24. The Milk Loss Program offers up to $1.65 million to dairy operations that dumped milk or removed it from the market without compensation due to 2023–24 disasters.

The On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program provides up to $5 million for producers who lost harvested commodities stored on-farm during qualifying disaster events. More information on both programs is available through USDA FSA.

USDA continues to support producers through significant national investments. Since March 2025, more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster assistance has been delivered under the American Relief Act of 2025.

This includes $9.3 billion through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP), over $1 billion through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP), and over $5.7 billion in SDRP Stage One payments. SDRP Stage Two is part of the more than $16 billion allocated by Congress to help producers recover and prepare for the next production year.

Photo Credit:usda