SDRP Stage Two Webinar for Insurance Professionals

Dec 01, 2025
By Farms.com

Webinar explains SDRP stage two details for crop insurance agents

The United States Department of Agriculture is inviting crop insurance agents to join an online webinar that will explain the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, known as SDRP, Stage Two. This program is part of USDA’s ongoing work to support producers who face losses from natural disasters. The event is designed to help crop insurance professionals understand the program, its purpose, and how agents can guide farmers who may benefit from it.

The webinar will be hosted by the Risk Management Agency, also called RMA, along with the Farm Service Agency. These two branches of USDA work together to support farmers by offering financial protection, educational tools, and risk-management programs that reduce the impact of unpredictable weather events. During the session, speakers will explain how SDRP Stage Two works and why it is an important resource for producers dealing with crop losses.

Crop insurance agents who attend will receive an overview of eligibility requirements, program goals, and the steps farmers must follow to participate. The session will also highlight how SDRP Stage Two builds on earlier phases of disaster assistance and how it connects with existing crop insurance policies. This information will help agents provide clear guidance to farmers during challenging times.

The online format makes the webinar easy to attend for professionals across the country. It will take place on Thursday, December 4, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EST. Because many crop insurance agents have busy schedules, USDA will also record the meeting. Anyone who cannot join live will be able to watch it later at their convenience.

USDA encourages agents to attend so they can stay informed and help their clients better understand disaster support options. Through this informational session, crop insurance professionals will gain the knowledge needed to connect farmers with the relief resources they rely on after difficult seasons.

This webinar is an important step in ensuring that insurance agents remain prepared, confident, and informed as they assist farmers in navigating risk and restoring stability after natural disasters.

Photo Credit: usda

Video: Spring 2026 weather outlook for Wisconsin; What an early-arriving El Niño could mean

Northeast Wisconsin is a small corner of the world, but our weather is still affected by what happens across the globe.

That includes in the equatorial Pacific, where changes between El Niño and La Niña play a role in the weather here -- and boy, have there been some abrupt changes as of late.

El Niño and La Niña are the two phases of what is collectively known as the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO for short. These are the swings back and forth from unusually warm to unusually cold sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean along the equator.

Since this past September, we have been in a weak La Niña, which means water temperatures near the Eastern Pacific equator have been cooler than usual. That's where we're at right now.

Even last fall, the long-term outlook suggested a return to neutral conditions by spring and potentially El Niño conditions by summer.

But there are some signs this may be happening faster than usual, which could accelerate the onset of El Niño.

Over the last few weeks, unusually strong bursts of westerly winds farther west in the Pacific -- where sea surface temperatures are warmer than average -- have been observed. There is a chance that this could accelerate the warming of those eastern Pacific waters and potentially push us into El Niño sooner than usual.

If we do enter El Nino by spring -- which we'll define as the period of March, April and May -- there are some long-term correlations with our weather here in Northeast Wisconsin.

Looking at a map of anomalously warm weather, most of the upper Great Lakes doesn't show a strong correlation, but in general, the northern tiers of the United States do tend to lean to that direction.

The stronger correlation is with precipitation. El Niño conditions in spring have historically come with a higher risk of very dry weather over that time frame, so this will definitely be a transition we'll have to watch closely as we move out of winter.