Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today announced the release of congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events in 2023 and/or 2024.
USDA explained that USDA’s Farm Service Agency is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief. Emergency relief payments are automatically issued for producers who have an approved LFP application on file for 2023 and/or 2024, and do not have to contact USDA to receive payments.
USDA added, “The American Relief Act, 2025, provided funds for emergency relief payments. This program is the first of two programs authorized to assist with eligible losses suffered by livestock producers. FSA will announce additional ELRP assistance for other losses authorized by the act, including flooding, later this summer. FSA expects demand for this first program to be great so the ELRP payments will be factored at 35%. If additional funds remain, FSA may issue a second payment.”
“This first round of $1 billion in emergency livestock assistance specifically targets wildfire losses, bringing needed relief to, and aiding the recovery of, ranchers in North Dakota,” said Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Hoeven, R-N.D.
“We appreciate Secretary Rollins for working with us to get this assistance out the door and to streamline the process for our producers, both under today’s ELRP funding and the ongoing market-based assistance program,” Hoeven said.
“We look forward to USDA advancing the remaining assistance and delivering all $34 billion in disaster aid to help ensure a resilient farm economy, while we continue working to strengthen the farm safety net on a long-term basis.”
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman, said, “Cattlemen and cattlewomen across the country have faced heartbreaking losses from drought and wildfires.”
“We are so grateful that Secretary Rollins understands the devastation caused by these natural disasters and is working to make cattle producers whole again,” Wehrbein said.
“We appreciate USDA standing with farmers and ranchers, and being invested in their success.”
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