DISASTER ASSISTANCE

ELAP - HONEYBEE ASSISTANCE / Emergency Assistance for 

Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program

Overview

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (the 2018 Farm Bill) 

authorized the use of Commodity Credit Corporation funds for the 

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised 

Fish Program (ELAP). ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible 

producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish. It covers 

losses due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including 

blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary. ELAP covers 

losses that are not covered under other disaster assistance programs 

authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, such as the Livestock Forage 

Disaster Program (LFP) and the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

The 2018 Farm Bill amended certain provisions related to ELAP 

effective with the 2019 program year. Those amendments included:

• providing reimbursement of 90 percent of the cost of losses for 

socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning, or a veteran 

farmer or rancher;

• removing ELAP from the combined ELAP and LFP maximum 

per person and legal entity payment limitation for the 2019 and 

subsequent program years (as discussed in this fact sheet).

ELAP is administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA).

What Is Eligible?

Eligible Honeybees

Eligible honeybees include bees housed in a managed hive and used 

for honey production, pollination or honeybee breeding. Eligible 

honeybees do not include wild, feral honeybees, leaf cutter bees or 

other bee species that are not used for producing honey, pollinating 

or breeding honeybees.

Eligible Losses

Losses of colonies must be in excess of normal mortality. ELAP 

covers damage to hives and feed that was purchased or produced, 

including additional feed purchased above normal quantities to 

sustain honeybees until such time that additional feed becomes 

available.

The colony, hive and feed losses must be:

• Due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition; and

• Incurred by an eligible honeybee producer in the county where 

the eligible adverse weather or loss condition occurred.

Eligible Conditions

The losses must be the direct result of an 

eligible adverse weather or loss condition, 

including but not limited to:

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) (colony loss 

only);

• Earthquake;

• Eligible winter storm (colony loss only);

• Excessive wind;

• Flood;

• Hurricane;

• Lightning;

• Tornado;

• Volcanic eruption; and

• Wildfire.

Eligible Producer

To be eligible for losses, the producer 

must have:

• An interest and risk in an eligible colony 

for the purposes of producing honey, 

pollinating or breeding for commercial 

use as part of a farming operation 

on the beginning date of the eligible 

adverse weather or loss condition; and

• Suffered an eligible honeybee loss in 

a county where the eligible adverse 

weather or loss condition occurred 

on the beginning date of the eligible 

adverse weather or loss condition.

FACTSHEET • NOVEMBER 2023 fsa.usda.gov/ELAP
ELAP - HONEYBEE ASSISTANCE 2

How it Works

Colony Loss Payments

FSA has established a normal mortality rate for colony 

losses of 24.5 percent for the 2023 program year. 

Payments for colony losses are based on the average 

fair market value of colonies in the program year in 

which the loss occurs, as established by FSA. FSA has 

established the average fair market value at $125 per 

colony for the 2023 program year.

ELAP payments for honeybee colony losses will be 

based on a minimum of 75 percent of the result of 

multiplying:

• The number of colonies lost in excess of normal 

mortality (24.5 percent) due to an eligible adverse 

weather or loss condition, times;

• The average fair market value per colony for the 

applicable program year.

Hive Loss Payments

Payments for hive losses are based on the average fair 

market value of hives in the program year in which the 

loss occurs, as established by FSA. FSA has established 

average fair market value at $220 per hive for the 2023 

program year.

ELAP payments for hive losses will be based on a 

minimum of 75 percent of the result of multiplying:

• The number of hives lost due to an eligible adverse 

weather or loss condition, times;

• The average fair market value per hive for the 

applicable program year.

Feed Loss Payments

Payments are based on a minimum of 60 percent of 

the actual cost of purchased or harvested feed that was 

intended for honeybees and was damaged because 

of an eligible adverse weather or loss condition. This 

includes additional feed purchased above normal 

quantities to sustain the honeybees for a short time 

period until additional natural feedstock becomes 

available.

Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource or 

Beginning or Veteran Farmers and Ranchers

With respect to the national payment rates referenced 

above, an eligible honeybee producer who certifies they 

are socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning, 

or a veteran farmer or rancher will receive 90 percent of 

the payment rate for honeybee losses under ELAP.

Payment Limitations

The 2018 Farm Bill removed ELAP from the combined 

$125,000 payment limitation under ELAP and LFP. 

Therefore, for 2019 and subsequent program years, 

payment limitation does not apply to ELAP benefits. The 

average adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation relating 

to limits on payments for persons or legal entities, 

excluding joint ventures and general partnerships, with 

certain levels of AGI will apply.

Specifically, a person or legal entity with an AGI (as 

defined in 7 CFR Part 1400) that exceeds $900,000 will 

not be eligible to receive ELAP payments.

Direct attribution provisions also apply to ELAP. Under 

direct attribution, any payment to a legal entity will also 

be considered for payment limitation purposes to be 

a payment to persons or legal entities with an interest 

in the legal entity or in a sub-entity. To learn more, visit 

the Payment Eligibility and Payment Limitations fact 

sheet at fsa.usda.gov/payment-limitations.

Applying for Assistance

Producers can apply to receive ELAP assistance at local 

FSA service centers. For 2023 program year losses, the 

application period will end Jan. 30, 2024.

In addition to submitting an application for payment, 

producers who suffered honeybee losses must submit 

a notice of loss to the local FSA service center that 

maintains the farm records for their business.

However, if the local FSA service center that maintains 

the farm records for the honeybee producer is not in 

close proximity to the physical location county where 

the honeybee loss occurs, the honeybee producer may 

submit a notice of loss to the local FSA service center in 

the county where the loss occurred.

The following table provides the final dates to file 

a notice of loss and application for payment for 

eligible losses.

Honeybee Loss Final Date 

Payment

Within the program year 

Jan. 1 – Dec. 31

Jan 30. after the program year 

in which the loss occurred.

FACTSHEET • NOVEMBER 2023 fsa.usda.gov/ELAP
ELAP - HONEYBEE ASSISTANCE 3

For honeybee colony and hive losses, the participant 

must include proof of inventory at the beginning of 

the program year and inventory immediately before 

and after the eligible adverse weather event or loss 

condition. In addition, if the participant was paid for 

a loss of honeybee colony or hive in either or both 

of the previous 2 years, the participant must provide 

documentation to substantiate beginning inventory for 

the current year for which the loss occurred.

For honeybee colony losses due to CCD, the participant 

must provide a producer certification that the loss was 

a direct result of at least 3 of the 5 symptoms of CCD 

and proof that best management practices are being 

followed, such as honeybee colonies are provided 

proper nutrition, preventative treatment for varroa mites 

and disease, proper maintenance of hive equipment, 

proper colony management and any other supporting 

documents required for determining eligibility.

Payments may be made for eligible losses suffered 

by an eligible participant who is now deceased or is a 

member of a dissolved entity, if a representative, who 

currently has authority to act on behalf of the estate 

of the deceased participant, signs the application for 

payment. Proof of authority to sign for a deceased 

individual or dissolved entity must be provided. If a 

participant is now a dissolved general partnership or 

joint venture, all members of the general partnership 

or joint venture at the time of dissolution or their duly 

authorized representative(s) must sign the application 

for payment.

FSA will use data furnished by the applicant to 

determine eligibility for program benefits. Furnishing 

the data is voluntary; however, without all required 

data, program benefits will not be approved or 

provided.

More Information

This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; other 

restrictions may apply. For more information about 

ELAP, visit fsa.usda.gov/ELAP or contact your local FSA 

office. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

FACTSHEET • NOVEMBER 2023