NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RFD-TV)— Farmers and ranchers hit by wildfires and floods can now apply for relief through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) will help cover extra feed costs associated with these types of natural disasters. American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Danny Munch explained how this differs from previous USDA programs.
“ELRP, the flood and wildlife version, is a USDA/Farm Service Agency program that helps livestock farmers and ranchers cover part of the extra feed costs caused by qualifying wildfires on non-federal lands or flooding from 2023 or 2024,” Munch explained. “Unlike the drought version that was announced earlier this year and paid automatically off of livestock forage program payments, this one requires a direct application from farmers to FSA. Payments are going to be based on USDA standard monthly feed costs, and that’ll be 60% of three months of feed for flooding, or 60% of one month of feed for wildfires.”
The USDA has made nearly a billion dollars available to producers through the ELRP program.
“This is the remaining balance back from Congress’s $2 billion livestock directive from the American Relief Act of 2025,” Munch said. “If estimated demands that USDA receives exceed available funds, USDA is going to apply a national payment factor at the end of the calculations. So those final payments might be lower than the base calculation. There are payment limits of $125,000 per program year, or $250,000 if more than 75% of your adjusted gross income is from farming.”
If you think you are eligible for the ELRP program, Munch suggested reaching out to your local FSA office.
These “USDA Foods” are provided to USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) nutrition assistance programs, including food banks that operate The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and are a vital component of the nation’s food safety net.
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