The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued the final round of Emergency Livestock Relief Program payments, delivering more than $1.89 billion to producers impacted by drought, floods, and wildfires in 2023 and 2024.
Announced recently by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, the payments mark the completion of relief authorized under the American Relief Act of 2025, which provided $2 billion in emergency assistance for livestock producers suffering weather-related losses.
“Livestock operations across the country were disrupted in 2023 and 2024 by catastrophic floods, drought, wildfires, and poor forage conditions,” Rollins said in a statement. “We are working every day to ensure America’s food supply remains safe, stable, and secure.”
Producers who previously received ELRP assistance for drought and wildfire losses — including wildfires on federally managed lands — are now receiving a second, automatic payment.
Initial payments for those losses were factored at 35 percent to prevent exceeding available funding. With additional funds remaining, USDA’s Farm Service Agency has issued a second payment equal to 8.2 percent of an eligible producer’s 2023 or 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program gross calculated payment.
That brings the final payment factor to 43.2 percent for drought and wildfire assistance. Total aid provided under this portion of the program exceeds $1.289 billion.
Producers do not need to take additional action to receive the second payment if they previously qualified.
For producers who applied for ELRP 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire assistance — covering flood losses and wildfire losses on non-federally managed lands — USDA determined that a payment factor was not necessary.
Those eligible producers are receiving 100 percent of their calculated payment in a single lump sum. This portion of the program totals $604 million in recovery assistance.
ELRP 2023 and 2024 and ELRP 2023 and 2024 FW have a combined payment limitation of $125,000 per program year.
Producers who already received the maximum payment under the drought and wildfire portion of ELRP will not qualify for additional payments.
However, eligible producers may request an increased payment limit of up to $250,000 by submitting Form FSA-510, “Request for an Exception to the $125,000 Payment Limitation for Certain Programs,” no later than Nov. 2, 2026.
The funding comes after widespread forage losses, pasture damage, and herd disruptions across multiple regions during back-to-back years of extreme weather. By fully allocating the remaining funds, USDA says it is ensuring producers receive the maximum support possible under congressional authorization.
For many livestock operators facing high input costs and lingering drought impacts, the final payments may provide critical cash flow support heading into 2026 production decisions.
Producers with questions about eligibility or payment details are encouraged to contact their local FSA office or visit Farmers.gov for more information.
