The Disaster Money Machine: $61.88B in Emergency Farm Payments
Emergency and disaster relief programs now account for 42% of all farm subsidy spending. What started as a safety net has become the primary mechanism for federal agricultural support.
The Shift to Emergency Spending
Traditional farm subsidies — direct payments, price supports, crop insurance — used to be the backbone of federal agricultural spending. Not anymore. Our analysis of 31,759,593 USDA payment records shows that emergency and disaster programs now dominate the farm subsidy landscape.
💡 Key Finding
33 emergency/disaster programs paid out $61.88B — that's 42% of all farm subsidies in our dataset.
The Biggest Emergency Programs
| Program | Amount | Payments |
|---|---|---|
| CFAP Round 2 | $14.23B | 1,072,969 |
| Emergency Commodity Assistance Program | $9.36B | 1,144,399 |
| Emergency Relief Program | $6.56B | 597,814 |
| CFAP CARES Act | $5.60B | 932,273 |
| Supp Disaster Relief Non-Spec Crops 1 | $5.40B | 401,315 |
| Cfapcccca | $5.15B | 1,180,783 |
| Cfap3 — Tup | $4.35B | 603,469 |
| Emerg Assist Livestock Bees Fish (Elap) | $1.81B | 78,040 |
| Emrgncy Relief Program Trk 1-Nonspclty Crps | $1.38B | 183,058 |
| Emergency Relief Program-Speciality Crops | $1.18B | 49,889 |
| Cfap3 — Ltu | $1.11B | 367,264 |
| Emergency Livestock Relief Program-2023-24 | $1.04B | 347,755 |
| Emergency Relief Program 2 | $886.8M | 20,069 |
| Emergency Livestock Relief Program | $725.3M | 207,412 |
| Emrgncy Relief Program Trk 2-Nonspclty Crps | $652.0M | 32,523 |
Why It Matters
Emergency spending is harder to scrutinize than regular farm bill programs. When every year brings new "emergency" appropriations, the distinction between regular support and crisis response disappears. Farmers who once relied on crop insurance and price supports now depend on ad hoc disaster programs that Congress creates with less oversight and fewer guardrails.
The question isn't whether farmers need help during genuine disasters — they do. The question is whether a system built on perpetual emergencies is the most efficient or accountable way to support American agriculture. With climate change increasing the frequency of extreme weather, the disaster spending machine shows no signs of slowing down.
📊 Data Source
Analysis based on USDA Farm Service Agency payment records, 2017-2025. Programs classified as "emergency/disaster" based on program name containing Emergency, Disaster, Relief, ELAP, or CFAP.