farm disaster assistance | Interactive News https://111things.com Ask follow up questions & get instant answers and insights. Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:52:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://i0.wp.com/111things.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/111things-apple-touch-icon-180-1.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 farm disaster assistance | Interactive News https://111things.com 32 32 126483067
USDA’s $16 Billion Disaster Program Sets Aug. 12 Deadline for Farmers https://111things.com/national/usdas-16-billion-disaster-program-sets-aug-12-deadline-for-farmers/ https://111things.com/national/usdas-16-billion-disaster-program-sets-aug-12-deadline-for-farmers/#respond Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:52:19 +0000 https://111things.com/local-headlines/usdas-16-billion-disaster-program-sets-aug-12-deadline-for-farmers/ Farmers seeking federal help for qualifying crop, tree, bush and vine losses from disasters in 2023 and 2024 have until Aug. 12, 2026, to apply under both stages of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program.

The USDA Farm Service Agency issued the reminder July 27 as the deadline approached. The agency says more than $16 billion is available through the program, which is intended to address qualifying revenue, quality or production losses tied to disasters during the two calendar years.

The deadline applies nationwide. Eligibility and payment amounts are not automatic: They depend on documented losses and calculations by USDA.

Two stages cover different types of losses

Stage 1 is for producers with indemnified losses. USDA will use data from Federal Crop Insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program to determine the relevant losses for that stage.

Stage 2 addresses non-indemnified, shallow, uninsured and quality losses. The separate stages are intended to account for different categories of losses and different types of documentation.

USDA’s announcement does not say that every applicant will receive a payment, nor does it say that the full amount available will be distributed by Aug. 12. The agency also did not provide a current nationwide total of applications or payments associated with the 2026 deadline.

Program deadline was extended

The Aug. 12 deadline follows an extension announced by USDA on April 24. At that time, the agency said the deadline applied to both Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the disaster program.

The April announcement also said USDA had already issued $6.7 billion in Supplemental Disaster Relief Program payments. It documented an increase in the program’s payment factor from 35% to 70%.

That earlier payment figure is a snapshot from the April announcement, not a current total for the program or a prediction of how much will ultimately be paid. The July reminder continued to describe more than $16 billion as available through the program.

Other agriculture deadlines are also approaching

The July 27 USDA announcement listed additional deadlines for producers and landowners. Applications for Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers, or ASCF, are due Aug. 7, 2026.

The announcement also set Aug. 31, 2026, as the deadline to review base allocations under the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs, known as ARC/PLC.

USDA says eligible landowners may seek increases to as many as 30 million nationwide base acres through the ARC/PLC review. That figure describes the potential number of new base acres nationwide, not a guaranteed increase for any individual landowner.

What producers need to know

For producers with qualifying losses, the immediate issue is completing the appropriate application before Aug. 12. The program covers losses involving crops, trees, bushes or vines from calendar-year 2023 and 2024 disasters, but eligibility and the eventual payment amount depend on the loss information USDA uses in its calculations.

The next known date for the main disaster program is Aug. 12, when applications for both stages are due. The separate specialty-crop deadline comes earlier, on Aug. 7, while the ARC/PLC base-allocation review deadline follows on Aug. 31.

Sources

]]> https://111things.com/national/usdas-16-billion-disaster-program-sets-aug-12-deadline-for-farmers/feed/ 0 945442 USDA finalizes expanded disaster assistance and loan changes for farmers https://111things.com/national/usda-finalizes-expanded-disaster-assistance-and-loan-changes-for-farmers/ https://111things.com/national/usda-finalizes-expanded-disaster-assistance-and-loan-changes-for-farmers/#respond Thu, 06 Aug 2026 16:43:43 +0000 https://111things.com/?p=941931 The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency has finalized changes to disaster-assistance and commodity-loan programs that affect farmers and ranchers across the United States.

Announced July 8, 2026, the changes include a higher reimbursement rate for certain livestock losses caused by predation from endangered or protected animals, automatic payments for many eligible losses from 2024 and 2025, and revised assistance for some tree and vine damage.

The announcement marked the one-year anniversary of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The Farm Service Agency, or FSA, said the final improvements are part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s broader implementation of the 2025 law.

Higher reimbursement for specified livestock losses

For livestock-indemnity claims involving predation by endangered or protected animals, the reimbursement rate rises to 100% of market value from 75%. The change is effective Jan. 1, 2026.

The higher rate applies to the specified protected-animal predation losses covered by the program. It does not mean that every disaster-related livestock loss qualifies for full reimbursement.

Producers also may document eligible regional price premiums that are above the national average market price when seeking assistance for qualifying livestock losses. That provision recognizes that the value of livestock can vary by region, but eligibility remains subject to the program’s rules and required documentation.

Some payments for 2024 and 2025 losses will be automatic

For many eligible losses from 2024 and 2025, FSA said it will use information already in its records to issue payments automatically. Producers will not need to take action for those payments when the agency has sufficient information to determine eligibility and the payment amount.

That process is not universal. Producers may still need to provide documentation when the information already held by FSA is insufficient, and eligibility continues to depend on program-specific requirements. The agency’s announcement did not provide a nationwide dollar total for payments under the revised programs.

For farmers and ranchers managing losses, the distinction could affect how quickly assistance reaches them and whether they need to assemble additional records. The final changes address compensation, eligibility documentation and payment timing rather than creating a blanket payment for all producers.

Changes for tree and vine losses

FSA is also changing how it handles eligible tree and vine losses. The agency is removing the 15% normal-mortality deduction, which is intended to increase reimbursement for qualifying pruning and removal costs.

The implementation period for the specified tree and vine assistance is being extended to 24 months, with a possible extension. The longer period gives the program more time to carry out the assistance, but the announcement does not establish that every tree or vine loss will qualify.

The changes are part of the final Farmers First program improvements tied to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. They cover livestock, crop and tree-and-vine assistance, with the practical effect depending on the type of loss, the producer’s eligibility and the information available to FSA.

What producers should expect next

FSA’s next step is implementation of the final program changes. Some payments for eligible 2024 and 2025 losses are expected to move automatically using existing agency information. Where that information is not enough, producers remain responsible for meeting applicable documentation requirements.

The announcement sets the 100% predation reimbursement rate’s effective date at Jan. 1, 2026, while the tree and vine assistance implementation period extends for 24 months and may be extended. It does not state a single nationwide payment deadline or total program payout.

Sources

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