Ag News

USDA waives ELAP & LIP loss requirement notices

To streamline the application process producers must go through to access critical support they can receive from the  Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) for 2023 natural disasters, the USDA has waived certain notice of loss requirements. 

The USDA Farm Service Agency is waiving the requirement to submit ELAP or LIP notices within a predetermined number of days for 2023. Instead, producers have the flexibility to submit 2023 notices of loss as soon as possible once losses are realized after a natural disaster event or no later than the established annual program application for payment deadlines for each program.

For 2023, FSA is waiving the regulatory requirement for producers who are eligible for ELAP to file a notice of loss with FSA within 30 calendar days from when the loss first became apparent for livestock and farm-raised fish and 15 calendar days for honeybees. Under this waiver, notices of loss are to be completed by the eligible producer and submitted to FSA no later than the annual program application deadline of January 30 following the program year in which the loss occurred. Therefore, producers who incurred ELAP-eligible losses in 2023, will need to submit a notice of loss by Jan. 30, 2024. 

For 2023, FSA is waiving the regulatory requirement for producers who are eligible for LIP to file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days from when the loss first became apparent. Under this waiver, producers are still required to complete and submit the notice of loss to FSA no later than the annual program payment application date, which is 60 calendar days following the program year in which the loss occurred. The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is Feb. 29, 2024, for the 2023 program year.  

To learn more about Georgia counties that have received USDA disaster designations due to natural disasters in 2023 visit  https://gfb.ag/23usdagadisasterdesignations.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish 

ELAP provides recovery assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires. ELAP covers grazing and feed losses, transportation of water and feed to livestock and hauling livestock to grazing acres. ELAP also covers certain mortality losses for livestock including honeybees and farm-raised fish as well as honeybee hive losses. ELAP is designed to address losses not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs.  

Livestock Indemnity Program 

LIP provides disaster recovery assistance to livestock owners and contract growers who experience livestock deaths, in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions including adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators. LIP also helps livestock owners who must sell livestock at a reduced price because of an injury from certain loss conditions. 

2023 Disapproved Applications

FSA county committees are being asked to re-evaluate all 2003 ELAP and LIP notices of loss that were previously disapproved for the 2023 program year due to late filing and re-evaluate the applications to determine if the waiver applies. To receive ELAP and LIP benefits, producers will still need to file an application for payment by the established program deadline for the 2023 program year. Producers who are unsure about the status of their notice of loss or application for payment, should contact their local FSA county office as soon as possible. 

Supporting Documentation 

Accurate records and loss documentation are critical following disaster events and are required when filing notices of loss with FSA. Acceptable loss documentation includes:  

•Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented, if possible, by photographs or video records of ownership and losses. 

•Rendering truck receipts by kind, type, and weight - important to document prior to disposal. 

•Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts. 

•Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition. 

•Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition. 

•Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal. 

•Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed.

•Number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages.

More Information 

The improvements to ELAP and LIP build on others made since 2021. This includes ELAP benefits for above normal costs for hauling feed and water to livestock and transporting livestock to other grazing acres during a qualifying drought. FSA also expanded eligible livestock under ELAP, LIP, and the Livestock Forage Disaster Assistance Program, and increased the LIP payment rate for beef, beefalo, bison, and dairy animals less than 250 pounds and most recently beef calves over 800 pounds. Learn about USDA disaster assistance programs on farmers.gov.  

On farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet and Loan Assistance Tool can help producers and landowners determine disaster protection and recovery program or loan options. For more information about FSA programs, contact your local USDA Service Center. 

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