USDA Issues Second Disaster Payment, Extends SDRP Deadline

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a second round of payments through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) while extending the application deadline for producers affected by recent natural disasters.

The update applies to farmers and ranchers with approved SDRP applications tied to losses in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

What Farmers Need to Know

USDA is increasing the SDRP payment factor from 35% to 70%. Producers who have already received initial payments will receive an additional 35% of their calculated payment.

The agency has also extended the application deadline from April 30 to August 12, 2026, for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the program. The extension is intended to allow more time for application updates that could affect payment amounts.

To date, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has distributed $6.7 billion in SDRP payments.

Who Is Eligible

Eligible producers must have experienced losses due to natural disasters in 2023 or 2024. Covered events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze events, smoke exposure, excessive moisture and qualifying drought conditions.

For drought-related losses, eligibility requires a county designation of D2 (severe drought) for at least eight consecutive weeks, or D3 (extreme drought) or higher, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Producers in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine and Massachusetts are not eligible for SDRP payments because those states receive block grant funding for crop losses.

Program Breakdown

• Stage 1 of SDRP covers producers who received indemnities through crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for qualifying losses.
• Stage 2 addresses losses not covered under Stage 1, including shallow losses and quality-related losses affecting crops, trees, bushes and vines.

Additional Support

USDA reports that disaster assistance is part of broader financial support provided to agricultural producers. According to the agency, more than $17.9 billion in supplemental disaster assistance has been delivered through multiple programs, including SDRP, the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and the Emergency Livestock Relief Program.

“President Trump is the most pro-farmer President of our lifetime, and through his leadership, the Administration is supporting farmers through unprecedented international market access, lowered taxes, and improvements to the farm safety net with the Working Families Tax Cuts. By extending the program deadline and making available this additional payment, we are continuing to put farmers first during this difficult farm economy,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “To help secure the economic viability of disaster-impacted farmers, we’re taking deliberate steps to provide stronger, more meaningful financial support for our nation’s agricultural producers.”

Where to Learn More

Producers can find additional details and application information through USDA’s Farm Service Agency.