ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish. It covers losses due to adverse weather or other loss conditions including blizzards, disease, flood, water transport, and wildfires.
Which Producers Can Apply?
Livestock
Farmers who:
- own or have a contract for grazing animals (alpacas, adult or non-adult dairy cattle, adult or non-adult beef cattle, adult or non-adult buffalo, adult or non-adult beefalo, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer, and sheep).
- owned them or entered into contract during the 60 calendar days before the beginning date of the eligible event.
- have animals for ag commercial/production purposes.
- have suffered loss of grazing land, feed, costs to transport water, or costs to inspect or treat CTF.
Livestock losses that are ELAP covered:
- grazing land/pastureland — if not due to drought or wildfires on federal lands (LFP), eligible loss on grazing land must be physically located in a county where eligible adverse weather or loss conditions occurred.
- forage and feed — purchased, mechanically harvested, added cost of transporting due to weather/loss, or additional cost of purchase above normal quantities required to maintain livestock.
- costs of transporting water — eligible livestock had existing and adequate watering system, do not normally require transported water; cost of equipment, rental, contract labor (not for water itself).
- costs of treating/inspecting CTF — only for dairy/beef/beefalo cattle, need records of treatment/inspection and needs to be on file with APHIS.
Honeybees
ELAP can cover losses for farmers who:
- have an interest and risk in an eligible colony for the purposes of producing honey, pollinating or breeding for commercial use as part of a farming operation on the beginning date of the eligible adverse weather or loss condition
- and suffered an eligible honeybee loss in a county where the eligible adverse weather or loss condition occurred on the beginning date of the eligible adverse weather or loss condition.
- Losses of colonies must be in excess of normal mortality. ELAP covers damage to hives and feed that was purchased or produced, including additional feed purchased above normal quantities to sustain honeybees until such time that additional feed becomes available.
Eligible Honeybees include:
- Bees housed in a managed hive and used for honey production, pollination, or breeding.
- Does NOT include wild, feral honeybees, leaf cutter bees, or other bee species.
Honey Bee Good Management Checklist
Farm-raised Fish
Farmers who:
- owned or leased property with readily identifiable boundaries.
- had control of the waterbed, the ground under the specific type of water and not just control over a column of water.
- provided purchased or produced feed to the farm-raised fish.
- Does not cover turtles or alligators.
Eligible Losses include:
- Fish Loss: death losses in excess of normal mortality due to weather/loss condition.
- Bait or game fish grown in controlled environments.
- Aquatic organisms grown as food for human consumption (or as food for fish for human consumption) in controlled environment.
- Ornamental fish or fish maintained for commercial use as part of farming operation.
- Destroyed due to eligible weather or loss condition; physically located in county where weather occurred.
Process
Farmers must submit a completed ELAP application and supporting documentation to their local FSA office by March 1st of the program year following the loss. In addition to submitting an application for payment, farmers must also submit a notice of loss to their FSA office where their farm records are maintained.
What to Do Before a Loss
- Know your county FSA agent.
- Keep good records.
- Ensure that you have all grower contracts.
- Save receipts for expenses.
What to Do After a Loss
- Document Loss
- Document damage as soon as possible to clearly show evidence of loss (as soon as you notice loss/as soon as disaster occurs).
- Contact Local FSA Office
- Report your loss right away to the local FSA office. Notice of loss must be filed at your local FSA office within 30 days of the loss occurring or becoming apparent for livestock and fish and within 15 days for honeybees.
Calculating ELAP Loss Payments
Socially disadvantaged, beginning, limited-resource, and veteran farmers are eligible to receive a 90% payment rate for ELAP payments. Otherwise, payment rates vary between 60-75%.
| ELAP Payment Calculation | |
| Honeybees | Colony Loss = 75/90% x # colonies lost above normal 22% mortality (due to weather/loss condition) x avg market value per colony (2021, $100/colony)Hive Loss=75/90% x # hives lost due to weather/loss condition x avg market value per hive ($200/hive)Feed Loss= 60/90% x actual cost of purchased/harvest feed damaged due to weather AND/OR feed purchased above normal quantities to sustain honeybees |
| Farm-raised Fish | Fish Loss= 75/90% x # fish lost in excess of normal mortality (due to weather/loss condition) x state’s avg market value per fish species (determined by FSA)Feed Loss=60/90% x actual cost of purchased/harvested feed intended for eligible fish that was damaged |
| Livestock | Grazing Loss= 60/90% lesser of 1) feed cost x # grazing days lost (150 max) or 2) normal carrying capacity x grazing days lost (150 max)Feed Loss = 60/90% of 1) value of purchased/harvest feed damaged by weather, 2) additional cost of transporting feed, or 3) additional cost of buying feed above normal quantities (150 days max)Water Transport = 60/90% lesser of 1) cost to transport water for up to 150 days, based on livestock requirements, 2) cost to transport water for the program yearCattle Tick Fever = 60/90% x # eligible livestock treated/inspected x avg cost to gather livestock per head (established by FSA) |
Additional ELAP Resources
- ELAP Preparation Checklist – provides a list of steps to complete to ensure your ELAP application is ready for submission to your FSA office.
- ELAP Decision Tool – A tool to help farmers gather their required documentation for an easier and more efficient application process.
- ELAP Drought Dashboard– Platform that identifies which states are eligible for ELAP due to drought conditions.
Farmers may be eligible for ELAP, LIP, and ECP for the same disaster depending on the types of losses. For example, a livestock farm hit by a hurricane could use ELAP for damaged feed, LIP for cattle deaths due to the hurricane, and ECP for repair of livestock fencing.
Contact Information
Visit the USDA to find your nearest FSA office. If you have trouble locating, getting in touch with, or receiving adequate service from your agent, please let us know.
To learn more about the programs or to inquire about technical assistance available for applying for a particular FSA disaster assistance program,contact Tee Turner ([email protected]).