Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP)

Emergency Livestock Relief Program

Details on the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) were announced this week to help agricultural producers offset the increased feed cost due to the drought in 2021.

• ELRP is part of the FSA’s implementation of the Emergency Assistance Act which provided $10 billion in assistance for agricultural producers, including $750 million which is targeted for livestock producers impacted by drought and wildfires.
• The ELRP Program will make payments in two separate phases -Phase 1 & Phase 2

 Phase 1

• No application is needed for Phase 1 as it will use data from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) which indemnified producers of grazed forage crop acreage (native and improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or certain crops planted specifically for grazing) that have suffered a loss of grazed forage due to a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county.
• Phase 1 ELRP payments will be equal to the eligible livestock producer’s 2021 gross LFP payment multiplied by an ELRP payment percentage.
• The ELRP payment percentage will be:
  • 90% for beginning farmer or socially disadvantaged producers: ELRP Payment = LFP Payment x 90%
  • 75% for all other producers:  ELRP Payment = LFP Payment x 75%

For those that qualify Beginning/Veteran Farmer, Socially Disadvantaged or Limited Resource Farmer, you will want to check with your FSA office to make sure that you have the FSA CCC-860 on file.  This form was not required for the LFP program but is required to get the higher payment rate for the ELRP. 

Phase 2

• Phase 2 will be focused on identifying and providing emergency assistance to producers impacted by drought and wildfire in calendar year 2021 who did not otherwise receive assistance under Phase 1. More details will be released on Phase 2 once they are available.