July 9, 2025 – The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the launch of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which will provide up to $16 billion in relief payments to farmers and ranchers impacted by qualifying natural disasters during the 2023 and 2024 crop years.
This program is authorized by Congress and aims to deliver timely financial assistance to producers recovering from events such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, freezes, excessive drought, and other weather-related losses.
Program Overview
The SDRP will be administered in two stages:
- Stage One provides expedited assistance to producers who already received indemnity payments through either federal crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). The USDA will send pre-filled applications to these producers beginning July 9, with in-person signups beginning July 10 at local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.
- Stage Two, which will cover shallow or uninsured losses, is expected to begin in early fall of 2025.
Eligible Crops
The SDRP includes a broad range of crops and commodities. Eligible crop types include:
- Row Crops: Corn, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, wheat, rice, sorghum
- Specialty Crops: Fruits, vegetables, melons, and tree nuts
- Perennial Crops: Citrus, apples, peaches, pecans, grapes, and other orchard crops
- Other Crops: Forage crops, nursery crops, turfgrass, and floriculture
- Vines, Bushes, and Trees used for commercial crop production
In general, if a crop was eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP coverage and suffered a loss due to a qualifying disaster in 2023 or 2024, it may be eligible under the SDRP.
Eligibility and Payment Details
To qualify, losses must have occurred during a 2023 or 2024 disaster event. Eligible causes of loss include:
- Drought (D2 for eight consecutive weeks or any D3 designation or higher)
- Hurricanes and tropical storms
- Wildfires
- Tornadoes
- Excessive moisture or flooding
- Winter storms and freezes
- Smoke exposure, excessive heat, or related conditions
Producers in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts will not participate in SDRP. These states have elected to receive funding through separate block grants.
Payments in Stage One are calculated based on existing crop insurance or NAP indemnities. Payment amounts will be based on up to 90 percent of the loss value, multiplied by a 35 percent payment factor. Additional payments may be issued later if funding allows.
Important Note: Producers receiving SDRP funds must maintain at least 60% coverage through crop insurance or NAP for the next two crop years. Failure to do so will require repayment of the SDRP funds with interest.
Faster Relief Than Previous Programs
According to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, SDRP represents a significant improvement in disaster aid delivery timelines. Previous programs often took more than a year to begin distributing funds. Rollins emphasized that “under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has prioritized getting these funds to farmers as quickly as possible.”
This effort is part of a broader $30 billion disaster aid package, which also includes:
- Over $7.8 billion in Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payments
- Over $1 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief
- State-administered block grants in partnership with 14 states
Key Dates for Producers
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| July 9 | USDA mails pre-filled SDRP Stage One applications |
| July 10 | Producers may begin in-person sign-up at their local FSA office |
| Early Fall | Stage Two opens for shallow or uninsured losses |
Additional Information
Producers are encouraged to:
- Monitor their mailboxes for the pre-filled application (Form FSA-526)
- Contact their local FSA office with questions
- Visit Farmers.gov for SDRP tools, forms, and updates
For more details, refer to the official USDA News Release.
