Farmers can now claim disaster aid for crops that were insured but not damaged enough

The US Farm Service Agency is expanding its disaster relief programs to cover crop losses that were previously ineligible. This means farmers can now get payments for crops that were insured but not damaged enough to trigger a payout, or for crops that were not insured at all.

For years, farmers had a gap in disaster coverage: if their crops were damaged but not enough to meet insurance thresholds, they got nothing. This rule closes that gap, making it easier for farmers to recover from smaller, but still significant, losses. It also extends aid to those who couldn't afford or access crop insurance, shifting some of the risk from individual farmers to the federal government.