🌾Supplemental Disaster Relief Program Offers $30.78 Billion Assistance
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is issuing this final rule announcing SDRP, which provides assistance to eligible producers for losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, tornadoes, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. SDRP assistance will be provided in two stages, referred to as Stage 1 and Stage 2. This document provides the eligibility requirements, application process, and payment calculations for SDRP Stage 1 only, which will provide payments for eligible crop, tree, and vine losses calculated using data already on file with USDA from previously issued Federal crop insurance indemnities and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) payments. FSA anticipates announcing SDRP Stage 2 in a later rule.
Learn More🌾USDA Ends Race and Sex-Based Preferences in Assistance Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has independently determined that it will no longer employ the race- and sex-based "socially disadvantaged" designation to provide increased benefits based on race and sex in the programs at issue in this regulation. The USDA has faced a long history of litigation stemming from allegations of discrimination in the administration of its farm loan and benefit programs. However, over the past several decades, USDA has undertaken substantial efforts to redress past injustices, culminating in comprehensive settlements, institutional reforms, and compensatory frameworks. These actions collectively support the conclusion that past discrimination has been sufficiently addressed and that further race- and sex-based remedies are no longer necessary or legally justified under current circumstances.
Learn More🌾Simplifying Agriculture Regulations
FSA is in the process of reviewing all regulations within its purview to reduce regulatory burdens and costs. Pursuant to this review, FSA has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions in title 7 of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR). FSA is removing these provisions to streamline and clarify the dictates of title 7. The changes in this rule will have no impacts on past or present FSA customers.
Learn More🐄Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) for 2023 and 2024
The Secretary of Agriculture is issuing this rule to implement the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) 2023 and 2024, which provides payments to eligible livestock producers for losses due to qualifying drought and qualifying wildfire occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. This rule specifies the administrative provisions, eligibility requirements, and payment calculation for ELRP 2023 and 2024. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) will calculate payments using data already submitted to FSA by Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) participants; therefore, producers are not required to file an additional application to receive ELRP 2023 and 2024 payments.
Learn More🌾Removal of Obsolete Agriculture Regulations by FSA
FSA is in the process of reviewing all regulations within its purview to reduce regulatory burdens and costs. Pursuant to this review, FSA has identified the following obsolete, unnecessary, and outdated provisions. FSA is removing these provisions to streamline and clarify the dictates of FSA regulations. The changes in this rule will have no impact on past or present FSA customers.
Learn More🌾Removal of Obsolete Crop Assistance Program Regulations
The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is updating our regulations to remove the FSA Crop Assistance Program (CAP), which is obsolete. The changes in this rule will have no impacts on past or present FSA customers.
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