When faced with the challenges of losing livestock to a natural disaster, producers have a new resource developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in partnership with FarmRaise, to help access available support.
This online Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) guides producers through the process to see if they qualify for assistance. This decision tool launched on May 28 as part of a broader disaster assistance program educational module. It expands the library of online FSA disaster and farm loan program resources and decision aids available to agricultural producers on the FarmRaise FSA educational hub. The Decision Tool is a resource only and is not an application for benefits or a determination of eligibility.
“The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program is our most flexible tool for dealing with natural disasters and other qualifying losses. As we continue to enhance this critical program, having the right tool to streamline application processes can expedite assistance,” FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux says. “FarmRaise uses feedback from cooperators and producers to develop the tools they request to more easily navigate our programs, allowing them to maximize assistance available through FSA’s extensive program portfolio. This tool is the next iteration of this important work.”
The FarmRaise educational hub provides videos, tools and interactive resources that enable USDA cooperators and agricultural producers to learn about and access major FSA programs.
The ELAP Decision Tool helps with the following:
• Explains qualified natural disasters including drought, blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires, and more.
• Offers tips for record-keeping, loss documentation requirements and tracking steps needed before applying for program benefits.
• Creates a document generated by the ELAP Decision Tool to be used to support the ELAP application process. Producers will need to complete and submit the ELAP Application to their local FSA county office.
These categories of livestock losses are covered by ELAP.
• Grazing losses that are not due to drought or wildfires on federally managed lands
• Livestock feed losses caused by eligible loss condition that result in purchased or mechanically harvested feed being destroyed, additional feed purchased above normal, and additional cost of feed delivery
• Losses resulting from the additional cost of transporting water to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling feed to livestock due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other feeding location and back due to an eligible drought
• Losses resulting from the additional cost associated with gathering livestock for treatment and inspection related to cattle tick fever
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the Federal Government.
Livestock that may qualify for compensation through Livestock Indemnity Program
