REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated the deadlines for three livestock disaster assistance programs so they will be synchronized.

According to a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) news release, the changes take effect for 2024 program applications for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). The deadline to apply for this assistance is March 3, 2025, because March 1 falls on a Saturday. Applications for these programs for the 2024 year are available from FSA.

ELAP provides financial assistance to producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish to assist with the impacts of adverse weather and diseases that are not covered by other FSA programs. Producers can find out if their county is included for ELAP in 2024 by contacting their local FSA county office. This program is also available to help dairy producers who had milk losses due to H5N1 infections in their herd.

LFP is for livestock producers who have eligible grazing losses on land due to drought or restrictions from wildfires.

LIP provides financial assistance to those who face livestock deaths in excess due to adverse weather or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government.

For more information on the programs and the March 3, 2025 deadline, visit: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/…

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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