Special to the American Press

U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins, R-La., has announced that the United States Department of Agriculture has granted his request and included crawfish in the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program.

In January, Higgins sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting that drought be included as an eligible cause of loss for ELAP. This was a necessary action for Louisiana’s crawfish farmers to qualify and access emergency assistance in response to the severe drought in 2023.

USDA’s announcement makes ELAP available to Louisiana crawfish farmers who experienced losses due to last year’s excess heat. USDA has worked with the Louisiana Farm Bureau and the LSU AgCenter to create a formula-based payment assistance program. For additional information, or to apply for assistance, producers can contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) in their local USDA Service Center or visit usda.gov.

Additionally, Congressman Higgins worked with Gov. Jeff Landry and members of the Louisiana delegation to secure disaster loan assistance for non-farm crawfish businesses through the Small Business Administration.

“The decision to include crawfish in the ELAP program is a win for Louisiana’s farmers,” Higgins said. “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.”