UKIAH >> Assistance is available for producers who have incurred additional operating costs for transporting water to livestock due to an eligible drought through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), according to Katie Delbar, Mendocino/Lake counties USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) executive director.
ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish who have suffered losses because of disease, severe weather, blizzards and wildfires.
An eligible drought means that part or all of a county is designated as having an “extreme drought” or higher as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor www.droughtmonitor.unl.edu. The enrollment deadline for ELAP assistance is Nov. 1.
“Prolonged drought conditions have caused many hardships for producers including increased expenses associated with water transport — equipment, labor and contracted water transportation costs,” Delbar said.
To qualify for ELAP, eligible livestock must be: Alpacas, adult or non-adult dairy cattle; beef cattle; buffalo and beefalo; as well as deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep or swine.
Additionally, livestock must have been owned 60 calendar days prior to the beginning of the drought and be physically located in the county designated as a disaster area due to drought.
Adequate livestock watering systems or facilities must have existed before the drought occurred and producers are only eligible if they do not normally transport water to the livestock.
Livestock that were or would have been in a feedlot are not eligible for livestock losses resulting from transporting water and ELAP does not cover the cost of the water itself.
“I encourage livestock producers to contact the Mendocino/Lake County FSA to make an appointment to sign up for ELAP and to learn more about eligibility, application and documentation requirements,” Delbar said.
For information on ELAP and eligible losses from transporting water, contact the Mendocino/Lake County FSA office at 468-9225 ext. 2.
