Hoeven: USDA to Begin Accepting Applications for Weather-Related Ag Disaster Assistance On July 10

Hoeven: USDA to Begin Accepting Applications for Weather-Related Ag Disaster Assistance On July 10

Senator Secured Funding to Help Producers Recover from Wildfire, Disaster Losses in 2023 and 2024

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin accepting applications on July 10 for the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), which will provide $16 billion to help producers recover from weather-related losses occurring in 2023 and 2024. The program comes as part of the $33.5 billion in disaster relief funding that Hoeven secured in the year-end legislation passed in December.

SDRP stage one is open to producers with eligible crop losses who received assistance either under crop insurance or the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) during 2023 and 2024.

• Prefilled applications are being mailed to producers today, which then may be submitted in person at county Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices starting tomorrow.
  • This follows Hoeven's work encouraging Agriculture Secretary Rollins to utilize a streamlined application process to help ensure an efficient and timely process.
• Stage one payments are based on the coverage level the producer purchased for the crop.
  • A payment factor of 35% will be applied to all stage one payments. If additional SDRP funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.
• Eligible disasters include wildfires, floods, winter storms, excessive moisture and qualifying drought, among other events.

SDRP stage two covers eligible shallow or uncovered losses, with signup beginning in early fall. Additional information on the weather-related assistance can be found on FSA's website here.

"Our farmers faced severe hardship from disasters over the past two years, which are compounded by the difficulties resulting from challenging markets and trade negotiations. As such, this weather-related disaster assistance that we worked to fund and advance will be a welcome relief," said Hoeven. "At the same time, the improvements we secured to the farm safety net will build upon this assistance, while reducing the need for future ag disaster funding. That's a win for both producers and taxpayers over the long-term."

Today's announcement builds upon the market-based assistance and livestock assistance that Hoeven worked to fund and advance, for which applications and payments continue to be processed. North Dakota producers have since received more than $570 million under the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) and more than $11 million under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP).

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