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NEWS RELEASE

USDA Reminds Agricultural Producers of Approaching Deadlines for Safety Net, Disaster Assistance, and County Committees

(Washington, D.C., July 27, 2026) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding agricultural producers impacted by increased input costs and natural disasters that the deadlines to apply for safety net and disaster assistance programs designed to protect their financial security are coming soon.  USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) wants to remind producers that the Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers (ASCF) program and the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), both have deadlines in early August. Additionally, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, eligible landowners have until the end of August to review and consider base acre increases for the first time since 2002 for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs.  

“Whether it’s disaster assistance, support for specialty crop growers or the first chance in more than two decades to update base acres, I encourage producers not to wait until the last minute," said FSA Administrator Bill Beam. “These deadlines represent real opportunities for producers to recover from market and weather challenges. Reach out to your local FSA office now and make sure you don't leave assistance on the table.” 

Agricultural producers are reminded of these important upcoming deadlines: 

• Aug. 7, 2026 – Deadline to apply for ASCF 
• Aug. 12, 2026 – Deadline to apply for SDRP 
• Aug. 31, 2026 – Deadline to review base allocations through ARC/PLC 

Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers 

ASCF provides payments to specialty crop producers based on reported 2025 planted acres. Pre-filled ASCF applications are available to producers who reported their 2025 crop acreage for eligible specialty crops. Producers with a secure Login.gov account can access and submit their pre-filled application online.  Producers can also request their pre-filled application from their local FSA county office. Eligible crops and payment rates can be found at fsa.usda.gov/ascf. The deadline to apply is Aug. 7, 2026. 

Supplemental Disaster Relief Program 

SDRP provides more than $16 billion in disaster relief payments to producers who suffered revenue, quality or production losses to crops, trees, bushes, or vines due to qualifying disaster events in calendar years 2023 and 2024. Producers with indemnified losses can apply through SDRP Stage 1 which leverages Federal Crop Insurance or Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program 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. Producers can request an application from their local FSA county office.  Aug. 12, 2026, is the deadline for both Stages 1 and 2. Additional information can be found at fsa.usda.gov/sdrp. 

Agriculture Risk Coverage/Price Loss Coverage 

ARC and PLC are cornerstone commodity safety net programs that provide financial protection to farmers when market prices or revenues decline. Landowners have the opportunity to increase base acres in preparation for enrollment in ARC and PLC beginning with the 2026 and future crop years as authorized by the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. Nationwide, up to 30 million new base acres can be added by eligible farms. 

Eligible landowners should review their Base Allocation Summary, which outlines potential base acre increases. These Base Allocation Summaries can be accessed online at fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc using a Login.gov account. Landowners who do not currently have a Login.gov account are encouraged to contact their local FSA county office to obtain their Base Allocation Summary and review and take any necessary action by Aug. 31, 2026.   

County Committees 

Additionally, Aug. 3 is the last day to submit nomination forms for eligible candidates to serve on their local FSA county committees. County committees are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA and allow grassroots input and local administration of federal farm programs. Elections occur each year in certain Local Administrative Areas (LAA). LAAs are elective areas for FSA county committees in a single county or multi-county jurisdiction. Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November. Learn more at fsa.usda.gov/coc. 

More Information 

For more information, producers can contact their local FSA office. Producers can also book an appointment with local FSA farm program and farm loan staff using FSA’s new online scheduling system.