COUDERSPORT — U.S. Department of Agriculture Potter/McKean/Cameron County Farm Service Agency Acting County Executive Director Pamela Reese on Friday announced that producers who suffered livestock feed or grazing losses due to recent floods could be eligible for assistance through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program.
“Devastating flood conditions affected many livestock operations, which leaves producers with increased feed expenses,” said Reese. “ELAP provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs,” she said.
ELAP covers physically damaged or destroyed livestock feed that was purchased or mechanically harvested forage or feedstuffs intended for use as feed for the producer’s eligible livestock. In order to be considered eligible, harvested forage must be baled. Forage that is only cut, raked or windrowed is not eligible.
Producers must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent. Additionally, the deadline to submit an application for payment for 2018 ELAP assistance is Nov. 1.
FSA pays ELAP applications after they are reviewed and approved, a change to the program by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.
ELAP also covers up to 150 lost grazing days in instances when a producer has been forced to remove livestock from a grazing pasture due to flood conditions.
For beekeepers, ELAP covers beehive losses (the physical structure) in instances where the hive has been destroyed by a natural disaster including flooding, high winds, wildfire and tornadoes.
Producers with a qualifying loss should contact the Potter/McKean/Cameron county FSA office to file a notice of loss within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent. Producers should also maintain records and receipts documenting that livestock were removed from the grazing pasture due to flood, costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts, feed purchase receipts and the number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages.
For more information regarding ELAP, contact the Potter/McKean/Cameron County FSA Office at (814) 274-8166 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/disaster.
