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USDA is announcing two new programs that wrap-up and fill remaining gaps in previous natural disaster and pandemic assistance. The Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase 2 and Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP) application period is open from January 23 through June 2, 2023. January 11, 2023

The USDA is preparing to roll out the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) Phase Two as well as the new Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program (PARP), which are two programs to help offset crop and revenue losses for producers. USDA is sharing early information to help producers gather documents and train front-line staff on the new approach. November 15, 2022

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the USDA will make available $20 million in cost-share assistance to help agricultural producers in Kentucky, Minnesota, South Dakota and surrounding areas to rebuild storage facilities damaged by devastating natural disaster events in 2021 and 2022. This assistance will help producers who were hard-hit by disasters and are currently struggling with a lack of available grain storage have the resources they need as they head into the 2022 crop harvest. October 13, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced another installment (phase) in assistance to commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021. More than 18,000 producers will soon receive new or updated pre-filled disaster applications to offset eligible crop losses. Approximately $6.4 billion has already been distributed to 165,000 producers through USDA’s Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Emergency Relief Program (ERP). August 19, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has processed more than 255,000 applications for the new Emergency Relief Program (ERP). USDA has made approximately $6.1 billion, to date, in payments to commodity and specialty crop producers to help offset eligible losses from qualifying 2020 and 2021 natural disasters. By breaking-down agency barriers, using existing data across USDA and pre-filled applications, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) in cooperation with the Risk Management Agency (RMA) has been able to expediently provide economic relief and save producers and staff over a million hours of time. August 08, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that it will indefinitely extend the deadline for producers to return the pre-filled applications for Phase One of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP). A new deadline will be announced after the last Phase One applications are mailed and provide at least 30 days following the mailing. August 05, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is reducing the economic risk of raising two crops on the same land in one year by expanding double crop insurance opportunities in nearly 1,500 counties where double cropping is viable. This action is part of a broader set of commitments made earlier this year by President Biden and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to increase domestic food production amid potential global food shortages related to the invasion of Ukraine. August 05, 2022

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will allow Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) participants who are in the final year of their CRP contract to request voluntary termination of their CRP contract following the end of the primary nesting season for fiscal year 2022. June 06, 2022

The President released his proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 budget that fully funds the federal crop insurance program in recognition of the indispensable role that crop insurance plays in the farm safety net. The release of the FY 2023 Budget follows a letter sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Secretary of Agriculture by 55 farming, banking, and conservation organizations asking that the administration protect crop insurance from harmful budget cuts. April 13, 2022

Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the farm safety net and an invaluable risk management tool for America’s farmers. This message was underscored during a recent House Agriculture Subcommittee hearing called by Subcommittee Chairwoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL). March 08, 2022