The U.S. Department of Agriculture is sending out additional disaster payments to livestock producers impacted by drought, flooding and wildfires in 2023 and 2024.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that its Farm Service Agency is issuing the final round of payments under the Emergency Livestock Relief Program, totaling more than $1.89 billion nationwide.
The funding was authorized by Congress through the American Relief Act of 2025 to help producers recover from severe weather losses over the past two years.
For producers who applied for assistance tied to flood and non-federally managed wildfire losses, USDA says they will receive 100 percent of their approved payment in a single lump sum, totaling about $604 million.
Livestock producers who previously received reduced payments for drought and wildfire losses are now receiving an automatic second payment, with total drought and wildfire assistance to producers exceeding $1.28 billion.
Payments are capped at $125,000 per producer per program year, though producers may apply for an exception to increase that limit. North Dakota ranchers have frequently relied on federal livestock disaster programs during extended drought cycles in recent years.
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