USDA to Issue Disaster Assistance to Help Honeybee, Livestock and Farm-Raised Fish Producers
Farm Bill Program Offers Producers Relief for 2014 Losses in more
than 40 States
WASHINGTON, April 6, 2015 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
(USDA) Farm Service Agency today announced that nearly 2,700
applicants will begin receiving disaster assistance through the
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish
Program (ELAP) for losses experienced from Oct. 1, 2013, through
Sept. 30, 2014.
The program, re-authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, provides disaster
relief to livestock, honeybee, and farm-raised fish producers not
covered by other agricultural disaster assistance programs. Eligible
losses may include excessive heat or winds, flooding, blizzards,
hail, wildfires, lightning strikes, volcanic eruptions and diseases,
or in the case of honeybees, losses due to colony collapse disorder.
Beekeepers, most of whom suffered honeybee colony losses, represent
more than half of ELAP recipients.
The farm bill caps ELAP disaster funding at $20 million per federal
fiscal year and the Budget Control Act of 2011, passed by Congress,
requires USDA to reduce payments by 7.3 percent, beginning Oct. 1,
2014. To accommodate the number of requests for ELAP assistance,
which exceeded 2014 funding, payments will be reduced to ensure that
all eligible applicants receive a prorated share.
Today's announcement was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which
builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six
years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in
savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, USDA has made significant
progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation,
including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers;
strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural
credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative
public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for
rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and
community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural
America. For more information, visit
http://www.usda.gov/farmbill.
To learn more about ELAP, visit
www.fsa.usda.gov/elap. For more information about
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) disaster assistance programs, visit
disaster.usda.fsa.gov or contact your local FSA
office at
http://offices.usda.gov.
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a
complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866)
632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or
Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).
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