Key Takeaways
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will provide disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW).
- The program offers up to $1 billion in benefits to offset supplemental feed costs due to qualifying floods or wildfires in 2023 and 2024.
- Eligible livestock include beef and dairy cattle, bison, goats, sheep, alpacas, reindeer, and other covered animals.
- Sign-up opens September 15, 2025, with applications due by October 31, 2025.
- Payments are capped at $125,000 per year, with potential exceptions up to $250,000.
USDA Launches ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced that livestock producers affected by qualifying floods or wildfires in 2023 and 2024 are eligible for disaster recovery assistance under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW).
“We are providing continued support for livestock producers whose livelihoods and way of life have been disrupted by catastrophic floods, wildfires, and poor forage conditions in 2023 and 2024,” said Rollins. “USDA will continue to put farmers first and ensure they have the relief they need to weather storms and build for the future.”
The program is expected to deliver approximately $1 billion in benefits.
Qualifying Disaster Events
To streamline the process, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has pre-identified counties eligible for ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW. Producers in those counties will not need to provide disaster documentation.
For counties not pre-identified, producers must submit documentation proving a qualifying flood or wildfire affected their livestock. FSA county committees will evaluate eligibility.
Livestock and Producer Eligibility
The program covers a wide range of livestock, consistent with criteria from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). Eligible animals include:
- Weaned beef cattle and dairy cattle
- Beefalo, buffalo, and bison
- Alpacas, llamas, deer, elk, emus, ostriches, and reindeer
- Equine, goats, and sheep
Wildfire assistance is limited to non-federally managed lands and excludes producers who already received relief under the ELRP drought and wildfire program delivered earlier in 2025.
Payment Structure
Payments are calculated based on feed costs:
- Floods: Up to 60% of three months of feed costs.
- Wildfires: Up to 60% of one month of feed costs.
ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW and ELRP 2023 and 2024 for drought and wildfire share a combined $125,000 payment limit per year. Producers who already received the maximum amount under the earlier program cannot claim additional payments.
However, eligible producers may request an exception to increase the payment cap to $250,000 by submitting Form FSA-510.
USDA Application Timeline
- Sign-up opens: September 15, 2025
- Deadline to apply: October 31, 2025
- More information and eligible counties
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