USDA farm-aid deadlines approach for specialty crops and disaster losses
U.S. farmers and landowners face three approaching Farm Service Agency deadlines tied to specialty-crop assistance, disaster recovery and a review of possible commodity-program base-acre changes.
The first deadline is Aug. 7, 2026, for the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers program. The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program deadline for both application stages is Aug. 12. Eligible landowners have until Aug. 31 to review their ARC/PLC Base Allocation Summaries and request corrections or other eligible changes.
The USDA reminder was issued July 27, 2026, rather than Aug. 5. With the first two deadlines days away, producers should confirm their records and contact their county FSA office promptly.
Aug. 7: Specialty-crop applications
ASCF provides $1.625 billion in one-time payments for eligible specialty crops that were not covered through the previously announced Farm Bridge Assistance program. Payments are based on reported 2025 planted acres, and rates vary by crop and acreage tier. The $1.625 billion is a program allocation, not a guaranteed payment amount for each producer.
To receive a pre-filled application, producers generally must have reported eligible 2025 specialty-crop acreage to FSA by April 24, 2026. FSA’s program guidance also lists citizenship or residency and other program requirements, so an acreage report alone does not guarantee eligibility or payment.
Producers with a secure Login.gov account can access and submit one pre-filled application covering all eligible specialty crops nationwide. Producers may also request the application from a local FSA county office. Completed applications can be returned in person or through methods arranged with the office, including electronic submission, email or fax.
FSA says many producers who have participated in its programs already have required customer, operating-plan, conservation, income-certification and direct-deposit forms on file. Producers who are unsure should confirm that their records are current before submitting the application.
Aug. 12: Disaster relief for 2023 and 2024 losses
SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster-relief payments to producers with qualifying revenue, quality or production losses affecting crops, trees, bushes or vines during calendar years 2023 and 2024.
Stage 1 is for indemnified losses. It uses existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers who qualify through those records may receive a pre-filled application or other instructions from FSA.
Stage 2 is for qualifying losses that were not indemnified, including shallow losses, uncovered or uninsured losses and certain quality losses. Producers can request a Stage 2 application through their county FSA office.
Qualifying events can include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freezes, smoke exposure, excessive moisture and qualifying drought. Not every weather-related loss qualifies. USDA says crop losses on land physically located in Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine or Massachusetts are not eligible for SDRP where state block grants cover those losses. Livestock, timber and crops grown for grazing are also excluded from SDRP.
Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 applications are due Aug. 12, 2026. Producers should check whether their loss records, insurance or NAP information and required FSA forms are complete.
Aug. 31: Review possible ARC/PLC base-acre changes
ARC and PLC are federal commodity safety-net programs that provide support when farm revenue or market prices fall below program thresholds. A 2025 law authorized up to 30 million additional base acres nationwide for eligible farms in preparation for ARC/PLC enrollment for the 2026 and future crop years.
Landowners have from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2026, to review their Base Allocation Summary. The summary can be accessed online with Login.gov or obtained through a local FSA office.
Landowners should contact FSA if acreage-history data is missing or incorrect, if eligible subsequent acreage is listed and they want to choose it, or if they want to opt out of additional base acres. They can also appeal the accuracy of the summary through the county committee. If the information is correct, no further action is required.
The review is not an automatic payment and does not itself complete ARC/PLC election or enrollment. USDA says the ARC/PLC enrollment period and application details for 2026 will be announced later.
Quick deadline checklist
- Aug. 7: Submit the ASCF application online through Login.gov or through a county FSA office if eligible 2025 specialty-crop acreage was reported by April 24.
- Aug. 12: Complete SDRP Stage 1 or Stage 2 steps for qualifying 2023 or 2024 crop, tree, bush or vine losses.
- Aug. 31: Review the ARC/PLC Base Allocation Summary and report errors, request eligible changes or opt out if appropriate.
Producers should contact their county FSA office immediately to confirm eligibility, filing status and receipt of paperwork. USDA payment and acreage decisions remain specific to each producer’s records, crop, loss type and program requirements.
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