President Joe Biden submitted a request for $98.6 billion in disaster aid to help communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as other natural disasters. This includes $23.5 billion for the USDA, with $21 billion earmarked for farmers and ranchers who have suffered crop losses due to hurricanes, drought and wildfires. Another $1 billion would be allocated to the Emergency Watershed Protection Program to help rural communities remove debris and repair infrastructure.

The USDA funding would help pay for federal firefighters, food aid for people hit by disasters and food banks affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In addition, the Small Business Administration disaster loan program has been drained, and $2 billion is needed to restore the funds. The White House proposed $40 billion to restore FEMA funding.

Agricultural groups have been asking Congress to pass a disaster relief bill. The proposed $21 billion for producers would reimburse costs for crop production, crop quality and orchard tree losses in addition to crop insurance indemnities. The payments would be made under the Emergency Relief Program (ERP).

Livestock producers may use the funding to compensate for supplemental feed costs due to drought or wildfires.

Read more about the Presidental request for disaster relief here.