Relief is finally here — and it’s moving faster than usual.
The USDA has launched a new disaster assistance program aimed at helping farmers who took hits in 2023 and 2024. It’s called the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), and it’s built around the idea of getting funds out quickly to those who’ve already taken a loss.
Here’s the short version:
If you had a claim through crop insurance or NAP in the past two seasons, you may be eligible for additional payments, and you don’t even have to fill out all the paperwork yourself. The government is using data they already have to pre-fill the forms and speed things along.
What’s New About This Relief?
This time around, the USDA is using a two-stage approach to get money out the door.
🔹 Stage 1 (Open Now):
Covers known losses from 2023 or 2024 that were already part of an insurance claim. Payments are being calculated using a percentage of what was lost, with many farmers seeing payments per acre based on crop value. USDA says most forms will be mailed out automatically, with applications open as of July 10.
🔹 Stage 2 (Coming September 15):
This round will handle things like shallow losses, quality issues, and other scenarios that didn’t trigger a full claim. The structure is expected to be the same, just applied to a wider range of loss types.
So, What Can You Expect?
Here’s what we know so far:
- No extra paperwork headaches: The forms are being sent out with most info already filled in.
- Payouts may vary, but early numbers suggest $25 to $150 per acre, depending on the crop and circumstances regarding loss amounts and indemnity values.
- Payment limits apply, but there’s additional room for operations that meet USDA’s farm income thresholds, especially for those growing specialty or higher-value crops.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t a brand-new idea — disaster aid has always been a part of farming. But the speed, simplicity, and structure of this new program make it stand out.
If you had crop losses in ’23 or ’24, this is worth checking on. Especially if your cash flow is feeling tight this summer, as it is for many operations across the region.
What You Should Do:
📍 Watch your mailbox — many farmers will get pre-filled SDRP forms.
📍 Talk to your local FSA office — signups for Stage 1 are underway.
📍 Call your CIMXag agent — we’ll help walk you through it.
We’ll keep tracking this program (and Stage 2 in September). Until then, let us know how we can help!
