USDA announces new round of disaster relief for producers
More than $16 billion in federal assistance distributed since 2025
25 November 2025
1 minute read
By: Three days after the federal government reopened, President Donald Trump and US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced continued support measures for farmers, including the reopening of more than 2,000 county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices during the shutdown to ensure access to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) services, according to a government-issued press release. USDA said it will now release additional disaster assistance funding for producers recovering from natural disasters across the country.
“President Trump continues to put Farmers First and provide relief to American farmers reeling from the devastating natural disasters that struck across the United States in 2023 and 2024," said Rollins. "The continued financial success of our farming and ranching operations is a national security priority."
"USDA is doing whatever it takes to make good on President Trump’s promise to expedite disaster recovery assistance to US farmers and ranchers, ensuring viability, prosperity, and longevity for these men and women who dedicate their entire lives to our nation’s food, fibre and fuel production," she added. "The majority of payments from the first stage are already in the hands of producers helping them prepare for and invest in the next crop year."
USDA’s Farm Service Agency is delivering more than $16 billion in Congressionally approved SDRP assistance. This funding is in addition to more than $9.3 billion provided through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to over 560,000 row crop farmers and more than $705 million through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) to more than 220,000 ranchers. Stage Two of SDRP covers eligible crop, tree, bush, and vine losses not addressed under Stage One, including non-indemnified (shallow loss), uncovered and quality losses.
Since March 2025, USDA has provided more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster assistance mandated by Congress in the American Relief Act, 2025, including $9.3 billion through ECAP, more than $1 billion through ELRP and more than $5.7 billion in SDRP Stage One payments.
Milk and on-farm stored crop loss assistance
The Milk Loss Program provides up to $1.65 million in payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed from the commercial market because of qualifying natural disaster events in 2023 and/or 2024.
Producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event may be eligible for assistance through the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, which provides up to $5 million to affected producers.
