The second stage of USDA’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program is among the latest farm disaster assistance offerings that eligible producers can now sign up for.
“The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, Stage Two; the Milk Loss Program; and the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program.”
That’s Agriculture Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce. These programs join Stage One of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, issued in July, as well as the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program, as part of comprehensive farm disaster assistance under this year’s American Relief Act. The undersecretary acknowledges SDRP Stage Two differs from the first stage in that:
“It’s going to be paying the shallow losses an indemnity didn’t trigger, but it was close to triggering, so we’ll come in and pick up part of that. Folks that weren’t indemnified at all, so people that didn’t have or weren’t able to purchase any kind of crop insurance product, help with assistance there, as well.”
As for other farm disaster assistance programs, examples include:
“The Milk Loss Program that’s going to pay milk producers that had to dump milk due to a qualifying natural disaster. So, like as an example, the dairy had milk cows. There was a storm. Roads were impassable. The truck couldn’t make it to the dairy to pick up the milk, so the milk had to be dumped. That is the program where we’re paying for that dumped milk or lost milk.”
With the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program:
“That program will pay producers that lost commodities that were stored on the farm due to one of those qualifying weather events that created either partial damage or complete loss of that on-farm stored commodity. And so, an example there would be a grain bin maybe that was flooded; the water entered the structure, damaged a portion or all of the grain stored in that grain bin. And we’re going to be able to help producers offset those losses.”
What are the deadlines for sign-up for each program?
“SDRP One and SDRP Two, they both will end on April 30. The Milk Loss Program and the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program, that sign-up will end on Jan. 23, 2026.”
Details on farm disaster assistance programs and their eligibility requirements, needed documentation, and sign-up periods are available at local Farm Service Agency offices and online at www.fsa.usda.gov.