Farmers hit by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for a share of $16 billion in federal relief, with the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program opening to applicants on July 9.
“American farmers are no stranger to natural disasters that cause losses that leave no region or crop unscathed. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has worked around the clock to deliver this relief directly to our farmers,” said Brooke Rollins, secretary of the US Department of Agriculture, in a press release. “We are taking swift action to ensure farmers will have the resources they need to continue to produce the safest, most reliable, and most abundant food supply in the world.”
Seeking swift action on disaster relief, the North Carolina congressional delegation and their congressional colleagues sent a letter to Rollins on March 10, pressing her to accelerate the rulemaking process for federal crop loss aid.
On March 27, Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC, sent a letter in partnership with US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, urging Rollins to expedite the distribution of federal dollars Congress allocated in December to assist ranchers, farmers, and rural Americans who suffered from natural disasters in 2023-24.
“Our farmers are the lifeblood of our nation, sustaining our communities and our economy,” said Budd in a press release. “When severe weather events, like Hurricane Helene, and drought struck North Carolina last year, it devastated our crops and shattered countless livelihoods. Unfortunately, this tragic pattern repeats itself whenever major natural disasters strike. Without swift disaster relief, agricultural producers face the stark reality of downsizing or closing their operations altogether. This is why I am deeply grateful to the Trump administration for ensuring that critical aid reaches our farmers, in North Carolina and across the country, helping them recover and continue feeding America.”
In May, Secretary Rollins announced a comprehensive plan to distribute this year $30 billion appropriated by Congress to farmers and ranchers. The SDRP is included in Rollins’ “comprehensive plan.”
In March, I led a bipartisan, bicameral push for clear USDA guidance on disaster relief funds. Last week, @SecRollins delivered—with a plan to get aid to our farmers. A big win for NC ag!https://t.co/facXXY4nhT
— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) May 12, 2025
The SDRP provides financial assistance to eligible producers facing losses in revenue, crop quality, or production caused by weather-related events in 2023 and 2024. The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) distributes this aid in two phases. Depending on the nature and timing of their losses, producers may qualify for payments in both phases and for either or both years.