Online Tool Offers Drought-Stricken Ranchers Compensation Estimate for Transportation Costs

An online tool is now available to help ranchers document and estimate payments to help cover the costs of feed transportation caused by drought. Those costs are now covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The USDA updated the program this year to include feed transportation costs and lowered the threshold for when assistance for water hauling expenses is available.

USDA will begin taking applications this fall.

“Drought has had a tremendous impact on producers, and we’re thinking outside the box to help producers mitigate the effects of drought, which is a necessary first step to realizing the Secretary’s vision of ensuring agricultural producers get a fair share of the food dollar,” says FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux. “We’re continually working to make our programs as flexible as possible, so they effectively help producers face today’s challenges.”

The new ELAP Feed Transportation Producer Tool is a Microsoft Excel workbook that enables ranchers to input information specific to their operation to determine an estimated payment. Final payments may vary depending on eligibility.

Click Here to learn more or to start the process.

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