The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced it plans to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. The USDA updated the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to cover feed transportation costs for drought impacted ranchers.
ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible livestock, honeybee and farm-raised fish producers that experience losses caused by disease, certain weather events or loss conditions determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. The cost of hauling water during drought already is covered.
The revised program will cover feed transportation costs where grazing and hay resources have been depleted because of a drought intensity of D2, as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor, for eight consecutive weeks; a drought intensity of D3 or greater; or the USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability.
“USDA is currently determining how our disaster assistance programs can best help alleviate the significant economic, physical and emotional strain agriculture producers are experiencing due to drought conditions,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “The duration and intensity of current drought conditions are merciless, and the impacts of this summer’s drought will be felt by producers for months to come. Today’s announcement is to provide relief as ranchers make fall and winter herd management decisions.”