U.S. Department of Agriculture has completed distribution of more than $1.89 billion in Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments, closing out assistance tied to weather-related losses in 2023 and 2024.
The funding, delivered through USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), supports livestock producers affected by drought, wildfires and flooding. In total, the payments fulfill emergency relief authorized under the American Relief Act, 2025, which allocated $2 billion for livestock disaster assistance.
Second Payments Issued for Drought and Wildfire Losses
Producers who previously received factored payments for drought and wildfire losses will now receive an automatic second payment.
Initially, FSA reduced payments by 35% to ensure total program costs stayed within available funding. However, after reviewing remaining funds, USDA issued an additional payment equal to 8.2% of a producer’s eligible 2023 or 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program gross calculated amount. As a result, the final payment factor reached 43.2%.
Altogether, drought and wildfire assistance under this portion of ELRP totals more than $1.289 billion.
Full Payments for Flood and Non-Federal Wildfire Losses
Meanwhile, producers who applied under the ELRP Flood and Wildfire category — covering flooding and wildfire losses on non-federally managed lands — are receiving 100% of their calculated payments.
After reviewing applications, FSA determined that no payment factor was necessary for this group. Consequently, approved applicants are receiving full lump-sum payments, totaling approximately $604 million.
Program Limits and Exceptions
ELRP 2023 and 2024 programs carry a combined payment limit of $125,000 per program year. Producers who have already reached that limit are not eligible for additional payments.
However, eligible applicants may request an increased payment limit of up to $250,000. To do so, they must submit Form FSA-510 by Nov. 2, 2026.
Stabilizing Livestock Operations
Severe drought, catastrophic wildfires and widespread flooding disrupted forage supplies and pasture conditions across multiple regions during 2023 and 2024. As a result, many livestock producers faced increased feed costs, herd liquidation decisions and operational strain.
With the final ELRP payments now issued, USDA has completed the emergency distribution phase for those program years. The funding aims to help producers recover financially while maintaining herd stability and supporting broader food supply continuity.
For livestock operations still assessing disaster impacts, FSA offices remain available to provide guidance on program eligibility and disaster assistance options.
