WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding disaster assistance and commodity loan programs for farmers and ranchers, increasing support for livestock producers, orchardists and crop growers under provisions of the Working Families Tax Cuts Act that take effect this year.
The changes, announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, include broader disaster assistance eligibility, higher Marketing Assistance Loan rates for eligible commodities, and new provisions affecting cotton and sugar producers. USDA indicated the updates implement provisions of the law signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, 2025.
The Farm Service Agency is expanding several disaster assistance programs, with many of the changes applying retroactively to Jan. 1, 2026.
Under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, farm-raised fish producers can now receive payments for losses caused by fish-eating birds at a rate of $600 per acre. The agency also established a 15% normal mortality rate for eligible honeybee colony losses.
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program will provide drought payments sooner by lowering the qualifying threshold. Producers will become eligible for a one-month payment after four consecutive weeks of severe drought conditions, down from eight weeks under previous rules. A two-month payment will be available if severe drought persists for seven of eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period.
The Livestock Indemnity Program will increase compensation for livestock killed by federally protected or endangered predators to 100% of market value, up from 75%. Producers may also document regional price premiums exceeding national averages when calculating eligible losses. In addition, the program will now cover unborn livestock losses dating back to Jan. 1, 2024, with most payments for 2024 and 2025 expected to be processed automatically using existing agency records.
USDA is also revising the Tree Assistance Program by eliminating the previous 15% normal mortality threshold, increasing reimbursement rates for activities such as tree removal and pruning, and extending the implementation period for recovery projects to 24 months, with extensions available.
The department is also expanding Marketing Assistance Loans, which provide short-term financing that allows producers to delay selling commodities during periods of low prices. Loan rates for all eligible commodities will increase beginning with the 2026 crop year, and the program has been reauthorized through 2031.
Cotton producers will receive several additional changes, including a higher storage credit cap, revisions to the calculation of world market prices, and refunds in certain cases when adjusted world prices decline shortly after loan repayment. Several of those provisions apply retroactively to July 4, 2025.
For sugar producers, USDA is extending the sugar program through 2031 while increasing loan rates for raw cane and refined beet sugar. The department also will adjust marketing allotments for beet sugar processors.
The announcement follows other Farm Service Agency changes made under the law, including expanded payment limitation provisions, opportunities to increase eligible base acres and higher reference prices for major commodities beginning this fall.
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