USDA announced updated interest rates for FSA farm loans effective December 1, 2025. Direct operating loans are set at 4.625%, direct ownership loans at 5.750%, and emergency loans at 3.750%. Farm storage facility loan rates range from 3.500% for three-year terms to 4.250% for twelve-year terms, while commodity loans (less than one year) are 4.625%. Check out the extended article for more information.

USDA announced a $38.1 million block grant agreement with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture to help Tennessee producers recover from Hurricane Helene losses. The funding will cover infrastructure and timber losses, as well as future economic and market losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs. This is part of USDA's $30 billion disaster assistance effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, with similar block grants being developed for 14 states to address each state's unique recovery needs.

USDA announced $1.2 billion in bridge payments to help farmers and ranchers impacted by market disruptions and natural disasters, with payments expected to reach producers before Christmas. The one-time payments will go to eligible producers who participated in 2024 USDA programs including ARC, PLC, dairy margin coverage, and emergency relief programs. Payments range from $5,000 to $125,000 per person or legal entity, automatically disbursed to those with 2024 program enrollment. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized the payments will provide critical relief during challenging economic conditions while the administration works on longer-term farm bill solutions.

Impacted Area: New York, Pennsylvania

‍Triggering Disaster(s): Tornado, Flash Flood

‍Application Deadline: 7/25/2026

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

Impacted Area: Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: 05/26/2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: 06/01/2025

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: New York

Triggering Disaster(s): Tornado, Flash Flood, Flood

Application Deadline: 7/25/2025

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

Impacted Area: Illinois

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 08/03/2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

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Impacted Area(s): Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin

Triggering Disaster: Severe storms, straight-line winds, and flooding

Application Deadlines: May 29, 2025 - July 24, 2025

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

Impacted Area: Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri

Triggering Disaster: Drought (Fast-Track)

Application Deadline: 05/26/2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Zach Riley has been appointed as the new State Executive Director for USDA's Farm Service Agency in New Mexico. Riley, who comes from a four-generation ranching family in eastern New Mexico, brings extensive experience in agriculture policy and advocacy, having worked with the Farm Bureau and Livestock Associations and contributed to multiple farm bills. As SED, he will oversee the delivery of FSA commodity, conservation, credit, and disaster assistance programs to agricultural producers throughout New Mexico.

Affected areas: Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin

Triggering Disaster(s): Weather that occurred between June and July 2025

Application deadlines: Various, ranging from May to July, 2026.

Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

Impacted Area: Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, Arkansas

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: 05/22/2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

USDA has designated three New Hampshire counties—Belknap, Carroll, and Coos—as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions during the growing season. This designation makes farmers and ranchers in these counties and contiguous areas in New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont eligible for FSA emergency loans to help with recovery needs such as replacing equipment or livestock, reorganizing operations, or refinancing certain debts. The application deadline for emergency loans is May 22, 2026.

‍Impacted Area: Washington

Triggering Disaster: Drought

Application Deadline: 6/1/2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota

Triggering Disaster:  Severe Winter Storm that occurred on March 19, 2025

Application Deadline:  January 21, 2026

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Texas, Oklahoma

Triggering Disaster: Excessive Rain, Flood, High Winds, Hail, and Severe Storms

Application Deadline: June 1, 2026

This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota

Triggering Disaster:  Severe Winter Storm that occurred on March 19, 2025

Application Deadline:  January 21, 2026

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area(s): Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky and Tennessee

Triggering Disaster: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

Application Deadline(s): Various. Ranging from January 21, 2026 to June 22, 2026.

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans

USDA is launching Stage Two of the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), delivering over $16 billion in total disaster assistance to farmers and ranchers affected by 2023 and 2024 natural disasters. Stage Two covers non-indemnified crop losses, uncovered losses, and quality losses that weren't included in Stage One, with applications opening November 24, 2025 and a deadline of April 30, 2026. Additionally, USDA is opening enrollment for the Milk Loss Program and On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program to compensate producers for losses during the same period, with applications accepted from November 24, 2025 through January 23, 2026.

Impacted Area: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee

Triggering Disaster: Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Wildfires

Application Deadline: January 21, 2026

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

USDA has extended the application deadline for the Livestock Disaster Recovery Assistance (LDRA) program to January 10, 2025. The program provides financial assistance to livestock producers who experienced above-normal mortality losses from eligible adverse weather events or disease outbreaks between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2024. Producers can apply through their local FSA office, and payment calculations are based on 80% of the average fair market value of eligible livestock, with payments capped at $40,000 for 2024 losses.

This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans. Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Commodity Credit Corporation today announced that the marketing assistance loan rate for 2026-crop base quality upland cotton is 55.00 cents per pound, an increase over the 2025 upland cotton crop loan rates, allowing producers of upland cotton to borrow a higher share of the value of crops placed under loan.

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Base quality upland cotton has the following characteristics: color grade 41, leaf grade 4, staple length 1-1/16 inches, micronaire 3.5-3.6 and 4.3-4.9, strength 26.0-28.9 grams per tex and length uniformity of 80.0-81.9%.

The USDA announced that the marketing assistance loan rate for 2026-crop base quality upland cotton will be set at 55.00 cents per pound, an increase from the 2025 rates. This higher loan rate, established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, allows cotton producers to borrow a greater share of their crop's value when using USDA's marketing assistance loans for interim financing. The increase provides producers more flexibility to store cotton at harvest when prices are typically low and sell later when market conditions improve.

The USDA announced $531 million in recovery assistance for Georgia agricultural producers affected by Hurricane Helene through a block grant agreement with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. This substantial funding will cover future economic losses, infrastructure damage, and timber losses, representing Georgia's share of the $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025. The assistance comes as part of USDA's broader disaster response that includes working with 14 states to develop customized recovery programs, with Georgia receiving one of the largest allocations to help farm families recover from the hurricane's devastating economic impact.

The USDA announced $38.3 million in recovery assistance for South Carolina agricultural producers affected by Hurricane Helene through a block grant agreement with the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. This funding will help cover infrastructure and timber losses, as well as future economic and market losses not addressed by other USDA disaster programs. The assistance is part of a broader $30 billion disaster relief effort authorized by the American Relief Act, 2025, with USDA working with 14 states to develop customized recovery programs that address each state's unique disaster recovery needs.

Impacted Area: Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska

Triggering Disaster: Severe Storms, Fires, and Winter Storms

Application Deadline: Wednesday, January 21, 2026

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This Presidential disaster declaration allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans.

Impacted Area: Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.

Triggering Disaster(s): Flooding, excessive rain, tornado, high winds

Application Deadline: May 18, 2026

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Physical loss loans through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) can help producers repair or replace damaged or destroyed physical property essential to the success of the agricultural operation, including livestock losses.

The USDA announced a second Emergency Commodity Assistance Program (ECAP) payment to agricultural producers, bringing the total payment factor to 99% of the authorized $10 billion in assistance for the 2024 crop year. Over $8 billion has already been distributed to help farmers navigate increased input costs and falling commodity prices, with eligible producers receiving an additional 14% payment automatically. Combined with other disaster relief programs including over $1 billion in livestock assistance and $5.4 billion in crop loss payments, these funds aim to help producers manage market volatility, pay down debt, and secure financing for the upcoming growing season.