U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) has announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for natural disaster recovery assistance for farmers. The announcement was made by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, stating that agricultural producers who experienced eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can apply for $16 billion in aid through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP).
Senator Budd expressed his gratitude towards the Trump administration for ensuring that necessary aid reaches farmers affected by severe weather events such as Hurricane Helene and droughts in North Carolina last year. “Our farmers are the lifeblood of our nation, sustaining our communities and our economy,” he said.
Earlier this year, Senator Budd led a bipartisan effort urging the USDA to expedite the rulemaking process for administering disaster relief aid provided by Congress in December 2024. The lack of clarity in federal rulemaking threatened farmers’ ability to utilize allocated aid fully. His efforts were successful when the USDA released a plan to distribute critical aid to those impacted by natural disasters.
Applications for Supplemental Disaster Assistance open today, July 10, 2025. The SDRP will support eligible producers with expenses related to revenue, quality, or production losses due to weather-related events in 2023 and 2024. Assistance will be delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in two stages.
For further details, visit: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/supplemental-disaster-relief-program-sdrp
