The U.S. Department of Agriculture has officially opened Stage Two of its long-awaited disaster-assistance rollout, unlocking a new stream of federal relief for producers who suffered crop, tree, vine, livestock, milk, and stored-commodity losses in 2023 and 2024.

The announcement, released today by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, represents the next phase of what the agency says is more than $16 billion in total support for farmers nationwide.
Full USDA announcement linked here.

For growers across California—especially those managing high-value permanent crops—this stage of funding could be the most impactful yet.

 

A Major Expansion of Eligibility

While Stage One focused primarily on indemnified losses tied to crop-insurance or NAP claims, Stage Two broadens eligibility significantly. This new stage includes losses that were not covered, were only partially covered, or fell into shallow-loss or quality-loss categories.

This means many producers who were previously told they were ineligible may now qualify. For the Central Valley—where heat spikes, quality downgrades, pest flare-ups, and smoke-taint events often cause losses that don’t meet full insurance thresholds—this shift is especially significant.

FSA county offices will begin accepting Stage Two applications on November 24, 2025, and both Stage One and Stage Two applications will close on April 30, 2026.

 

What’s Included in This Round of Assistance

In addition to the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP), USDA is simultaneously activating relief for two other areas that have hit California operations hard:

The Milk Loss Program

Supports dairy producers who discarded milk due to natural-disaster disruptions, with payments available up to $1.65 million per operation.

The On-Farm Stored Commodity Loss Program

Covers losses of harvested crops stored on-farm that were damaged or destroyed by eligible disaster events, with available payments up to $5 million. Enrollment runs from Nov. 24, 2025 to Jan. 23, 2026.

These programs target gaps that traditional crop-insurance products often do not fill—particularly for orchard crops, perennial systems, and diversified operations.

 

Why This Matters for California Agriculture

California growers routinely battle production risks that show up as quality losses, yield reductions, heat-related stress, smoke-taint issues, or post-harvest storage damage. Many of these events do not hit insured triggers but still take a measurable toll on crop value and profitability.

Stage Two is essentially USDA’s acknowledgement that “hidden” losses are real losses.

Permanent crops—almonds, pistachios, citrus, stone fruit, grapes—are expected to benefit the most.
Growers who trimmed losses on their taxes, documented reduced yield during harvest, or had commodity discounts from processors now have good reason to revisit their 2023–2024 production records.

 

What Producers Should Do Next

Although the rollout is large and technical, the guidance from USDA is simple: start preparing now.
Records from the 2023 and 2024 crop years—harvest receipts, processor settlement sheets, documented quality downgrades, storage records, insurance paperwork—will all matter.

FSA offices will begin processing Stage Two on Nov. 24, but county agents are already advising growers to make appointments early due to expected demand.

Application portal and program info: https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/11/17/trump-administration-delivers-second-stage-crop-disaster-assistance-farmers.

 

How This Connects Back to Long-Term Farm Resilience

While the funding is a major win for producers, USDA officials have emphasized that disaster programs are not substitutes for long-term risk-management strategies. For California farmers, this includes:

• Maintaining well-documented management practices
• Investing in orchard health and vigor
• Strengthening soil and water-holding capacity
• Building more resilient systems to withstand shocks

 

This is where The Ag Center’s network of affiliates plays a critical role—from orchard services to soil-health solutions, crop-management software, agronomic guidance, and land-use planning designed to minimize future loss exposure.

 

Bottom Line

USDA’s Stage Two rollout provides the broadest disaster-assistance opportunity growers have seen in years. Many who assumed they were ineligible may now qualify for substantial support—but only if they apply before April 30, 2026.

California’s agricultural economy continues to face uncertainty from weather extremes, rising input costs, labor shortages, and regulatory pressure. Assistance programs like this offer not only short-term relief but also a reminder of the importance of resilience, documentation, and strategy.

As FSA windows open this month, The Ag Center News will continue monitoring program updates, producer feedback, and any clarifications issued by USDA.