As farmers throughout the Southeast continue to recover from Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP).

To expedite the implementation of SDRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is delivering assistance in two stages:

Stage One is open to producers with eligible crop losses that received assistance under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program during 2023 and 2024. Stage One sign up will start in person at FSA county offices on July 10 and prefilled applications are being mailed to producers today, July 9.

The first stage covers crop, tree, and vine losses to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions occurring in calendar years 2023 and/or 2024.

SDRP Stage Two signups for eligible shallow or uncovered losses will begin in early fall. Details will be announced later.

Click here to learn more.