USDA issues final Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments for 2023-24 losses
On Feb. 13, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) has issued final Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments totaling more than $1.89 billion.
Eligible applicants who applied for ELRP 2023-24 Flood and Wildfire (ELRP 2023-24 FW) assistance will receive 100 percent of their eligible calculated payment in a single lump sum.
USDA is also making a second payment to producers who previously received their initial factored payment for ELRP 2023-24 assistance for losses due to eligible drought and wildfires.
“Livestock operations across the country were disrupted in 2023-24 by catastrophic floods, drought, wildfires and poor forage conditions. President Donald Trump has ensured our farmers, ranchers and producers have the tools and assistance necessary to continue their operations after they were impacted at no fault of their own,” Rollins said. “If the men and women who feed America cannot continue their operations, then our national security is at risk. We are working every day to ensure America’s food supply remains safe, stable and secure.”
“Due to the program demand for drought and wildfire assistance, initial payments were factored to ensure total program payments did not exceed available funding. Additional funds remain so we are delivering on our ‘Farmers First’ commitment to livestock producers and issuing a second payment in addition to making a full payment, with no factor, to eligible producers who applied for flood and wildfire recovery assistance,” she added.
At the direction of Congress, the American Relief Act of 2025 provides $2 billion in emergency relief payments to livestock producers suffering losses due to drought, wildfires or flooding in Calendar Years 2023 and 2024.
ELRP Drought and Wildfire
Livestock producers previously received an initial payment for drought and wildfire assistance which was factored by 35 percent to ensure payments did not exceed available funding.
Now, FSA has issued an automatic second payment to eligible producers who received an initial payment for drought and wildfire losses.
The second payment is equal to 8.2 percent of the eligible producer’s 2023-24 Livestock Forage Disaster Program gross calculated payment, making the final payment factor 43.2 percent and total assistance provided more than $1.28 billion.
ELRP Flood and Wildfire
After assessing ELRP 2023-24 FW applications, FSA determined a payment factor is not needed.
Producers with approved ELRP 2023-24 FW applications are receiving 100 percent of their calculated payment in a single lump sum, totaling $604 million in recovery assistance.
Payment limit
ELRP 2023-24 and ELRP 2023-24 FW have a combined payment limit of $125,000 for each program year.
Producers who already received the maximum payment amount from ELRP 2023-24 for drought and wildfire losses will not be eligible to receive an additional payment.
Eligible producers may
submit Form FSA-510 Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs by Nov. 2 to be considered for an increased payment limit of $250,000.
USDA is made up of 29 agencies and offices with nearly 100,000 employees who serve the American people at more than 4,500 locations across the country and abroad, with a vision to provide economic opportunity through innovation, to promote agriculture production which better nourishes Americans while also helping feed others throughout the world and to preserve the nation’s natural resources through conservation, restored forests, improved watersheds and healthy private working lands. For more information, visit usda.gov.
