North Dakota Senator John Hoeven Wednesday joined South Dakota and Montana Senators John Thune and Jon Tester in urging U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Administrator Zach Ducheneaux to address a gap in coverage under the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). In September, after Hoeven advocated for the change, USDA announced it would provide ELAP assistance for the cost of transporting feed to livestock. Still, producers who are transporting their livestock to feed are not currently eligible for the program.
The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Tina Smith (D- Minn.).
"[W]e continue to hear from producers who have been severely affected by drought this year and have incurred costs related to transporting their livestock to feed sources instead of hauling feed to their livestock," the senators wrote. "Under current regulations, these producers are not eligible for ELAP transportation assistance. We respectfully request that FSA exercise its authority to further improve ELAP by providing payments to producers for a portion of the costs they have incurred from transporting their livestock to feed sources."
Categories: Minnesota, Government & Policy, Livestock, Nebraska, Government & Policy, Livestock