Updated 7.9.26

Deadlines for Farm Service Agency programs are fast approaching! Contact your local Farm Service Agency to apply for assistance.

Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP)
Deadline: August 12, 2026

SDRP provides 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. Producers with indemnified losses can apply during the first stage. Stage 1 will leverage Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) data as the basis for calculating payments. Producers with non-indemnified (including shallow losses), uncovered (uninsured), and quality losses can apply for Stage 2 assistance. 

Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP)
Deadline: December 31, 2026 to apply for OCCSP 2025 and 2026 program years  

OCCSP provides cost share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). Certified operations may receive up to 75 percent of their certification costs paid during the program year, not to exceed $750 per certification scope.  

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

CRP is a voluntary program that encourages agricultural producers and landowners to convert highly erodible and other environmentally sensitive acreage to vegetative cover, such as native grasses, trees, and riparian buffers.  Participants receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource-conserving vegetative covers. The program helps to improve water quality, control soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.

Enrollment periods vary depending on the type of signup.  FY2026 CRP signup options include:

CRP Signup Type	Signup Dates
Continuous CRP	Closed May 1, 2026
General CRP	Closed April 17, 2026
Grassland CRP	May 4, 2026 – May 29, 2026

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) 
Deadline: March 1, 2027

ELAP offers financial aid to producers who suffer losses in 2026 from specific adverse conditions not covered by other USDA disaster assistance programs. This includes losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events, and other qualifying conditions affecting livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish.

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)
Deadline: March 1, 2027

LFP offers financial support to livestock producers who experience grazing losses in 2026 due to qualifying drought conditions or fire on federally managed rangelands. LFP provides payments to eligible producers to compensate for lost grazing opportunities and to help cover additional feed costs incurred due to the disaster.

Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
Deadline: March 1, 2027

LIP offers financial compensation to livestock owners and contract growers who suffered significant livestock losses in 2026 beyond normal mortality levels due to eligible adverse events, including adverse weather conditions (such as hurricane, lightning, tornado, flood, wildfire, etc) diseases, and attacks by federally protected animals. Normal mortality is determined by multiplying the applicable normal mortality percentage (established by the State Committee) by the number of livestock of that specific kind/type and weight range in inventory at the time of loss. 

Loan Deficiency Payments (LDP)
Deadline: Applications are accepted year-round, but must be submitted by the final loan availability date for the commodity or before beneficial interest is lost.

LDP offers payments to producers of eligible commodities who choose not to take out a Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) loan when market prices fall below the loan rate, providing immediate cash flow to producers, helping to manage financial risk and stabilize farm income during periods of low market prices. This program covers a variety of crops, including grains, oilseeds, wool, and other designated commodities.

Marketing Assistance Loans (MAL)
Deadline: Applications are accepted year-round, but must be submitted by the final loan availability date for the commodity or before beneficial interest is lost.

MAL offers loans to producers of eligible commodities to help manage their cash flow needs and provide marketing flexibility. By using their harvested commodities as collateral, producers can obtain interim financing and delay the sale of their crops until market prices improve. 

Producers may obtain MALs or LDPs on all or part of their eligible production anytime during the loan availability period, which runs from when the commodity is normally harvested (or sheared) until dates specified in the table below.

Final Loan/LDP Availability Date	Commodity
January 31	Peanuts, Wool, Mohair and LDP only for Unshorn Pelts
March 31	Barley, Canola, Crambe, Flaxseed, Honey, Oats, Rapeseed, Seed Cotton, Sesame seed and Wheat
May 31	Corn, Cotton (bales), Dry peas, Grain sorghum, Lentils, Mustard seed, Long grain rice, Medium grain rice, Safflower, Small chickpeas, Large chickpeas, Cotton, Soybeans and Sunflower seed

Crop Acreage Reporting
Deadline: July 15 is a major deadline for most crops, but deadlines to file vary by crop and by state and county. 

Crop acreage reports filed with USDA document the crops grown on your farm or ranch and their intended uses. Timely filed acreage reports are required to be eligible for most USDA programs. 

Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) Program
Deadline: August 7, 2026

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is providing $1.625 billion through a one-time bridge payment for specialty crops not covered through the previously announced Farm Bridge Assistance (FBA) program. ASCF payments are based on reported 2025 planted acres. Pre-filled ASCF applications will be available to producers who reported their 2025 crop acreage report by April 24, 2026.

Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP)
Deadline: Applications must be submitted by the crop-specific application closing date.

NAP offers financial support to producers of eligible crops for which federal crop insurance is not available (such as fruits, vegetables, aquaculture, floriculture, mushrooms, ginseng, honey, and others) to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields, destroyed crops, or the inability to plant. NAP provides basic coverage equivalent to the catastrophic level risk protection plan of insurance coverage and additional buy-up levels of risk protection.

Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment (RTCP)
Deadline: Applications are typically due by the end of the fiscal year (September 30), with specific dates provided by the local FSA office.

RTCP provides payments to producers in areas with high transportation costs (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). The program reimburses eligible producers for a portion of the transportation costs incurred when moving agricultural commodities and inputs, helping to level the playing field and support the economic viability of farming and ranching operations in these remote regions.

Tree Assistance Program (TAP)
Deadline: Application for Payment must be submitted within 90 calendar days of the disaster event or when the loss is apparent.

TAP offers financial support to orchardists and nursery tree growers who experience losses due to natural disasters. TAP helps cover the cost of replanting or rehabilitating eligible trees, bushes, and vines that produce annual crops and have been damaged or destroyed. 

Disaster Set-Aside Program (DSA)
Deadline: Applications must be submitted within eight months from the date the disaster designation was declared. 

DSA assists farmers and ranchers with existing FSA loans who have been impacted by natural disasters. This program allows eligible producers to move one annual installment for each loan to the end of the loan term. This set-aside installment helps producers regain their financial footing without facing immediate repayment pressure, enabling them to focus on recovery efforts. 

Emergency Conservation Program (ECP)
Deadline: Applications are accepted following a natural disaster event. Producers should apply as soon as possible after the disaster occurs to ensure timely assistance. 

ECP offers financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to repair and restore farmland affected by natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, wildfires, drought, and other events. ECP helps farmers and ranchers implement emergency conservation measures to rehabilitate damaged land, restore agricultural production, and prevent further environmental degradation. The damage must significantly impair the land’s agricultural productivity or pose a threat to land or water resources. 

Emergency Farm Loans
Deadline: Applications must be submitted within eight months after the disaster designation date. 

Emergency Farm Loans, administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), offer crucial financial support to farmers and ranchers impacted by natural disasters such as drought, flooding, storms, wildfires, earthquakes, and other declared disasters. These loans can be used to restore or replace essential property, cover production costs, pay essential family living expenses, and refinance certain debts. The aim is to help producers recover swiftly and maintain the viability of their operations during and after disaster recovery.