Sw Louisiana News

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) has announced that the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted his request to include crawfish in the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP).

In January, Higgins wrote a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, asking for drought to be recognized as an eligible cause of loss for ELAP. This was a crucial step for Louisiana's crawfish farmers to qualify and gain access to emergency assistance following the severe drought in 2023.

The USDA's announcement means that ELAP is now available to Louisiana crawfish farmers who suffered losses due to excessive heat last year. The USDA has collaborated with the Louisiana Farm Bureau and the LSU AgCenter to establish a formula-based payment assistance program. For further information or to apply for assistance, producers can reach out to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) at their local USDA Service Center or visit usda.gov.

In addition, Higgins collaborated with Governor Jeff Landry and members of the Louisiana delegation to secure disaster loan assistance for non-farm crawfish businesses through the Small Business Administration (SBA).

“The decision to include crawfish in the ELAP program is a win for Louisiana’s farmers,” said Congressman Higgins. “The crawfish industry is a vital part of Louisiana’s economy and culture. Since coming to Congress, my office has advocated for our crawfish industry every step of the way. We will continue to work at the federal level to deliver for our agricultural community.”