July 3, 2024

USDA programme to cover dairy farmers financially for bird flu-related milk losses

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had announced more details about a programme to compensate dairy farmers for H5N1 avian flu-related milk losses.

The agency was also to start accepting applications on July 1.

In a statement, the USDA said it is offering the assistance through an update to its Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP). The change will reimburse a portion of financial losses when cattle are removed from milking herds due to confirmed H5N1 test results.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said, "When something unexpected, like H5N1, threatens the economic viability of the producers we serve, we are committed to finding ways, where we have the authority to do so, to revisit existing programme policies and provide the financial support needed to help producers recover and sustain production."

ELAP is designed to provide relief to producers that aren't covered by other disaster-assistance programmes. Eligible cattle must be part of herds confirmed as H5N1-positive by the National Veterinary Services Laboratory, be removed from production during a specified period, be currently lactating, and be maintained for commercial milk production.

The USDA said it would base the per-cow loss payment on an expected 21-day period of no milk production, followed by seven days when the cow has returned to 50% of the normal rate of production.

-CIDRAP