Farmers First: USDA Supports Agricultural Recovery Amid Challenges

(Washington, D.C., November 17, 2025) – In the wake of a government shutdown instigated by radical left Democrats, President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins have prioritized agricultural recovery by reopening over 2,000 county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices. This unprecedented move enabled farmers to access essential U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) services during critical harvest periods. In a pivotal announcement today, the USDA is set to release billions in disaster assistance for farmers recovering from recent natural disasters across the nation.

Commitment to Farmers

“President Trump remains committed to putting Farmers First, offering much-needed relief to American farmers who are grappling with the aftereffects of devastating natural disasters in 2023 and 2024,” said Secretary Rollins. “The viability and financial health of our farming and ranching sectors is paramount for national security. The USDA is dedicated to fulfilling President Trump’s promise of swift disaster recovery assistance for U.S. farmers and ranchers.”

Financial Aid Breakdown

The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has allocated over $16 billion in total federally approved Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) assistance. This complements more than $9.3 billion distributed through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) to over 560,000 row crop farmers, along with $705 million channeled into the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for over 220,000 ranchers.

Stage Two Assistance Details

The forthcoming Stage Two of the SDRP focuses on eligible losses of crops, trees, bushes, and vines not covered under Stage One provisions, such as non-indemnified and quality losses. The FSA will begin accepting SDRP Stage Two applications on November 24, 2025. Producers have until April 30, 2026, to apply for both stages of assistance. Notably, FSA is collaborating with Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts to create block grants addressing crop losses; hence, affected producers in these states may not qualify for SDRP payments.

Historic Funding Initiatives

Since March 2025, USDA has disbursed more than $16 billion in supplemental disaster assistance mandated by Congress under the American Relief Act, 2025, which includes $9.3 billion through the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program and upwards of $1 billion through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program. To date, more than $5.7 billion in SDRP Stage One payments have been made available to support U.S. farmers and ranchers.

Specialized Support Programs

Milk and On-Farm Stored Crop Loss Assistance

The Milk Loss Program offers up to $1.65 million in assistance for dairy operations that were forced to dump or remove milk due to qualifying natural disaster events in 2023 or 2024.

In addition, the On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program provides up to $5 million for producers who lost stored harvested commodities because of natural disasters in 2023 and/or 2024. The enrollment period for both assistance programs will run from November 24, 2025, to January 23, 2026. Detailed information and fact sheets regarding these programs can be found online at fsa.usda.gov/mlp for milk loss and fsa.usda.gov/ofsclp for on-farm stored commodity losses.

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