2023/2024 Supplemental Disaster Assistance

The American Relief Act of 2025, Pub. L. No. 118-158 (the Act), signed into law on Dec. 21, 2024, provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture with more than $30 billion to deliver disaster recovery assistance to farmers and livestock producers. Below is a projected timeline for development and delivery of each of the components that comprise the full suite of Supplemental Disaster Assistance for agricultural producers.

Projected Timeline

Timeline Summary

Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP)

The Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) provides economic loss assistance for covered commodities based on 2024 planted and prevented planted acres.

Important Dates

• March 19, 2025: Sign-up began
• August 15, 2025: Sign-up ends

Nearly $8B in payments have been paid out to date. View more payment information on the ECAP Dashboard.

Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Drought and Wildfire

The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Drought and Wildfire will provide assistance for losses due to drought and wildfires in 2023 and 2024.

Payments were automatically issued to producers with approved Livestock Forage Disaster Program applications on file for 2023 and/or 2024. 

Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Flooding and Wildfire on Non-Federal Lands

The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for Flooding will provide assistance for losses due to flooding wildfire on non-federal lands . USDA has never stood up an assistance program for livestock due to flooding, this requires more time due to needed software changes.

Important Dates

• Sept. 15, 2025: Sign-up starts

• Nov. 21, 2025: Sign-up ends (extended deadline)

Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP)

The Supplemental Disaster Relief Program will provide assistance to producers for necessary expenses due to losses of revenue, quality or production of crops due to weather related events in 2023 and 2024.

Stage 1

Producers with indemnified losses can apply during the first stage. Stage 1 will leverage existing Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments.

Stage 2

Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. 

Important Dates

• July 10, 2025: Stage 1 Sign-up began
• Nov. 24, 2025: Stage 2 sign-up starts
• April 30, 2026: Deadline to apply for Stage 1 & 2 

On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP)

The On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program (OFSCLP) provides assistance to producers who suffered losses of eligible harvested commodities while stored in on-farm structures in 2023 and/or 2024 due to a qualifying natural disaster event.  

Important Dates

• Nov. 24, 2025: Sign-up starts
• January 23, 2026: Sign-up ends

Milk Loss Program (MLP)

The Milk Loss Program (MLP) provides payments to eligible dairy operations for milk that was dumped or removed without compensation from the commercial milk market because of a qualifying weather event in 2023 and/or 2024.

Important Dates

• Nov. 24, 2025: Sign-up starts
• January 23, 2026: Sign-up ends

General Block Grant Authority

USDA is using general block grant authority to pay on losses due to adverse weather events for 2023 and 2024. General block grants will not duplicate assistance for which USDA covers a similar loss.

• USDA has received general block grant requests from:
  • Florida - announced July 21, 2025
  • Georgia - announced September 30, 2025
  • North Carolina - announced September 5, 2025
  • South Carolina - announced September 30, 2025
  • Tennessee
  • Virginia - announced July 28, 2025

Timing

We are currently engaging with the above states to negotiate their final agreement. These are agreements between the states and USDA.

New England and Pacific Block Grant

Provides compensation for necessary expenses related to crop, timber and livestock losses, including on-farm infrastructure as a consequence of any adverse weather event in 2023 and 2024. Small block grants will not duplicate assistance for which USDA covers a similar loss.

• New England and Pacific block grants were specifically earmarked by Congress to cover:
  • Alaska
  • Connecticut
  • Hawaii
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

Timing

FSA is actively engaged with all eight states eligible working to refine these agreements. These are agreements between the states and USDA.