WASHINGTON, May 16, 2022 – The U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced that commodity and specialty crop producers impacted by natural disaster events in 2020 and 2021 will soon begin receiving emergency relief payments totaling approximately $6 billion through the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) new Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to offset crop yield and value losses.

Phase One of the program is for insureds and FSA NAP participants. The payment calculation is based on claim information and coverage level. ERP covers losses to crops, trees, bushes, and vines due to a qualifying natural disaster event in calendar years 2020 and 2021. Eligible crops include all crops for which crop insurance or NAP coverage was available, except for crops intended for grazing. Qualifying natural disaster events include wildfires, hurricanes, floods, derechos, excessive heat, winter storms, freeze (including a polar vortex), smoke exposure, excessive moisture, qualifying drought, and related conditions. For drought, ERP assistance is available if any area within the county in which the loss occurred was rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a: D2 (severe drought) for eight consecutive weeks; or D3 (extreme drought) or higher level of drought intensity.

To view the amounts paid for crop insurance in 2020 and 2021 click HERE. California has the third-highest total amount of combined indemnities for those two years. Livestock is excluded, since that will be included in Phase 2.

Since this is an FSA program, all questions from producers should be directed to their county FSA office. To view the full USDA article, visit HERE.