ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by other disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, such as losses not covered by the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
Assistance for Dairy Producers to Offset Milk Loss to H5N1
FSA is accepting applications through its updated Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to provide financial assistance to dairy producers who incur milk losses due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) infection in their dairy herds. FSA expanded ELAP policy, through the rule-making process, to assist with financial losses resulting from reduced milk production when cattle are removed from commercial milking in dairy herds having a confirmed positive H5N1 test. Positive test results must be confirmed through the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). Read more in our June 27 news release.
Additional Resources:
- Fact Sheet
- Fact Sheet - Spanish Version
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Frequently Asked Questions – Spanish Version
- ELAP Final Rule
ELAP Decision Tool
The newly launched ELAP Decision Tool helps eligible producers impacted by qualifying natural disasters and other eligible causes of loss better understand program eligibility and application requirements, learn about record-keeping and supporting loss documentation requirements and track the steps needed before applying for program benefits. The document generated by the ELAP Decision Tool can be used to support the ELAP application process, but it is not a program application. Producers will need to complete and submit the ELAP Application to their local FSA county office. The ELAP Decision Tool was developed in partnership with Farm Raise and is available here.
Assistance for Feed Transportation Costs
In 2021, USDA updated ELAP policy to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. USDA has expanded the program to help ranchers cover above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other grazing acres. This includes places where:
- Drought intensity is D2 for eight consecutive weeks as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor;
- Drought intensity is D3 or greater; or
- USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability.
The deadline to request all ELAP assistance for 2023 calendar year losses will be Jan. 30, 2024.
More information is available in the following releases: More Information
(All documents are in PDF)
- ELAP Final Rule (April 6, 2022)
- ELAP Final Rule (February 26, 2020)
- ELAP Fact Sheet
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