WASHINGTON – The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin issuing $1.75 billion in emergency relief payments to help farmers and ranchers recover from natural disasters in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The payments will be made in two phases.

Under Phase One of the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP), the Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide eligible producers affected by drought and wildfires in 2021 and 2022 with access to more than $581 million for losses suffered in 2021. FSA currently is closing out the ELRP for losses suffered in 2021.

In April 2022, FSA staff processed more than 100,000 payments through ELRP Phase One and paid eligible ranchers more than $600 million for 2021 grazing losses, USDA said.

Phase Two payments are estimated at $115.7 million, USDA said. Ranchers who lost grazing acres due to drought and wildfire and received assistance through ELRP Phase One will soon receive an additional payment through ELRP Phase Two. USDA said the second payment will be equal to 20% of the 2021 gross ELRP Phase One payment. ELRP Phase Two payments to producers will be automatic with no application required, the agency said.

Eligible ranchers will receive ELRP disaster assistance payments for increases in supplemental feed costs to help mitigate significant losses of grazing acres they continued to experience in 2022 due to drought and wildfire, USDA said. FSA is using livestock inventories and drought-affected forage acreage or restricted animal units and grazing days due to wildfire already reported to FSA by ranchers when they submitted their Livestock Forage Disaster Program applications to expedite payments, determine producer eligibility and calculate the ELRP 2022 payment. ELRP payments for 2022 losses are estimated at $465.4 million and will be automatic with no application required, USDA said.

“USDA provides substantial economic support for America’s farmers and ranchers through its critical farm program payments. These payments are reflective of the incredible and cumulative financial hits brought on by devastating natural disasters that agricultural producers nationwide have endured while fulfilling their commitment to produce our food, fiber and fuel,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This additional assistance helps offset the tremendous losses that these producers faced and is a valuable investment, not only for farmers and ranchers but in the economic successes of our communities — rural and urban — and in our nation’s food security for generations to come.”

FSA also is closing out Phase Two of the Emergency Relief Program (ERP) by issuing more than $1.17 billion in crop disaster assistance payments to producers of eligible crops who suffered losses, measured through decreases in revenue, due to qualifying natural disaster events that occurred in calendar years 2020 and 2021. Previously, through ERP Phase One, FSA staff processed more than 300,000 applications and paid an estimated 217,000 eligible producers more than $7.4 billion.