The U.S. Department of Agriculture has waived certain notice of loss requirements for 2023 for two livestock disaster assistance programs. These are the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish and the Livestock Indemnity Program.
USDA’s Farm Service Agency is waiving the requirement to submit ELAP or LIP notices of loss within a pre-determined number of days for 2023. This is in an effort to streamline assistance to support access to 2023 natural disaster recovery.
Instead, producers have the flexibility to submit 2023 notices of loss as soon as possible, once losses are realized, following a natural disaster event or no later than the established annual program application for payment deadlines for each program. FSA county committees are also being asked to re-evaluate 2023 ELAP and LIP late-filed notices of loss to determine if the waiver applies.
“Our goal is to get producers into these disaster programs, and they are always encouraged to turn in an
application if they believe they are eligible,” says FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “Program improvements are only effective if we ensure producers have sufficient time and information needed to submit their application.”
He says the ELAP and LIP waivers improve efficiencies for producers and FSA staff.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish
ELAP helps eligible producers of livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition. This includes blizzards, disease, water shortages and wildfires. The program 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. The program is meant to address losses not covered by other FSA disaster assistance programs.
For 2023, FSA is waiving the regulatory requirement for producers who are eligible for ELAP to file a notice of loss with FSA. It was 30 calendar days from when the loss first became apparent for livestock and 15 calendar days for honeybees. Under this waiver, producers must submit the notice of loss to FSA no later than the annual program payment application date of Jan. 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.
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. This includes 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.
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 must 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.
