The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency is reminding producers, including those in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania who have been impacted by drought, of the upcoming deadline to apply for financial assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). The deadline for losses that occurred in 2024 is January 30th.
ELAP provides emergency relief to eligible producers of livestock and honeybees to assist with losses caused by disease, adverse weather, wildfires, or other conditions not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs. On the other hand, LFP compensates eligible livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses for covered livestock, as well as producers of grazed forage crop acreage of native and improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or acreage planted specifically for grazing. Grazing losses must occur in a county experiencing a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county.
To participate in LFP, producers must own, cash or share lease, or contract grow eligible livestock, provide pasture or grazing land to eligible livestock at the beginning of the qualifying drought, certify that they suffered a grazing loss due to drought, and submit an acreage report to the Farm Service Agency for all grazing land for which a grazing loss is being claimed. ELAP provides compensation for above-normal costs of hauling water and feed to livestock, as well as transporting livestock to other grazing acres.
Producers applying for ELAP assistance for the 2024 calendar year losses are required to complete a notice of loss and a payment application at their local FSA office. ELAP also assists commercial apiarists who face a loss of feed due to drought conditions, allowing them to purchase short-term feed to sustain the honeybees until additional natural feedstock becomes available. Producers interested in applying for ELAP assistance for the calendar year 2024 should contact their nearest USDA Service Center by the January 30th deadline. To find a service center, visit farmers.gov/service-locator.
Furthermore, in July of last year, the USDA introduced ELAP eligibility for dairy farmers who incur losses due to reduced milk production when cattle are removed from commercial milking in dairy herds due to positive H5N1 tests. Under this new provision, eligible adult dairy cattle must be maintained for commercial milk production and currently lactating. Assistance is available for up to 120 days after the sample collection date for the positive H5N1 test.
Producers applying for assistance under this provision should submit a notice of loss and application for payment by January 30th for the days impacted in 2024. If the 120-day impact period extends into 2025, producers will need to submit a notice of loss and application for payment for the remainder of the 120 days that occur in 2025. Two payment applications must be submitted based on the applicable calendar year losses.
In conclusion, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency is offering assistance programs to help producers who have suffered losses due to various factors like drought and disease. Producers in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania are encouraged to take advantage of these programs by applying before the January 30th deadline to receive financial assistance for their losses in 2024. For more information and assistance with the application process, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center or visit farmers.gov/service-locator.