WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD-TV) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened sign-ups for Stage 2 of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, giving farmers a new pathway to recover shallow losses from extreme weather in 2023 and 2024. The program—open through April 30, 2026—covers revenue, quality, or production losses that were not indemnified under crop insurance. It expands the assistance begun under Stage 1 earlier this year.
Under Stage 2, USDA will use existing crop insurance and Farm Service Agency data to pre-fill applications, with producers verifying totals and submitting forms at county offices. Stage 2 also includes payments for quality loss, applying the same quality-loss percentages used in Stage 1 for forage nutrition reductions or value declines at sale. Qualifying disasters include drought, excessive moisture, hurricanes, freeze, derechos, wildfire, and other major weather events.
Check Out Farm CPA Paul Neiffer Calculator for Stage 2
Producers will receive payments calculated from the difference between expected and actual value, crop insurance coverage, premiums, and an SDRP factor tied to their base policy. Payments are currently subject to a 35 percent factor, though USDA expects this rate to rise after total claims become clearer. Payment limits apply, with higher caps available to producers who derive at least 75% of their income from farming.
Looking ahead, USDA emphasizes that recipients must purchase crop insurance or NAP coverage at 60 percent or higher for the next two crop years.
