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Texas ranchers may be eligible for USDA drought assistance

The USDA has set up an online tool to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed and livestock transportation costs caused by drought.

TEXAS, USA — Editor's Note: The above video is from a previous report on South Texas drought conditions affecting ranchers.

The Texas Farm Bureau wants to remind farmers that they may be eligible for drought assistance from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA).

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) program helps Texas farmers with the following:

  • the transportation of water to livestock;
  • the above normal cost of mileage for transporting feed to livestock;
  • additional feed purchase; and
  • the above normal cost of transporting livestock to forage/grazing acres.*
    *Hauling livestock one-way, one haul per animal reimbursement and no payment for “empty miles.” 

Eligible livestock include cattle, bison, goats and sheep, among others, that are maintained for commercial use and located in a county where qualifying drought conditions occur.  

RELATED: Long-time rancher shares his experience during extreme drought conditions in South Texas

Producers must report their losses within 30 days of the loss.

The USDA has set up an online tool to help ranchers document and estimate payments to cover feed and livestock transportation costs caused by drought.

The Texas Farm Bureau explains that producers must have risk in both eligible livestock and eligible grazing land in an eligible county to qualify for ELAP assistance.  

The deadline to request all ELAP assistance for 2022 calendar year losses will be Jan. 31, 2023.

RELATED: South Texas drought dries farmers hopes for rain

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