Flooding Disaster Relief Enrollment Open Through Oct. 31
October 1, 2025
USDA announced the application period for the Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) which will assist producers who experienced flooding-related losses in 2023 and 2024. The first federal livestock disaster assistance program designed to address losses from feed supply chain disruption due to flooding, announced Sept. 12, has come after years of NMPF efforts to ensure aid for affected producers.
“We’re grateful to Secretary Rollins and the USDA Team for delivering needed emergency relief for dairy farmers nationwide,” said Gregg Doud, president and CEO of NMPF. “The support is a lifeline for producers still working to recover from devastating 2023 floods and 2024 hurricanes.”
The program covers flooding losses in 2023 and 2024, covering nearly all California counties as well as parts of New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
NMPF worked alongside Rep. David Valadao, R-CA, nearly from the time floods first began devastating California farms in 2023, securing these funds through last year’s American Relief Act by providing Congress with key information regarding the losses dairy farmers faced from the floods. Reps. Jim Costa, D-CA, and Vince Fong, R-CA, were also critical in helping NMPF advocate for flood-affected dairy farmers in the legislation.
Dairy farmers can apply for ELRP’s $1 billion in available funding until Oct. 31, after which USDA will begin making payments. Click here for more information about producer and livestock eligibility.
