Louisiana crawfish farmers have been granted emergency assistance due to the droughts that affected the crawfish crop this year. Congressman Clay Higgins announced Friday that the United States Department of Agriculture granted his request that he made for crawfish farmers back in January. Crawfish farmers will now be included in the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program, also known as ELAP. According to Higgins, the USDA has worked with the Louisiana Farm Bureau and the LSU AgCenter to create a formula-based payment assistance program. Crawfish farmers can get more information on that program and how to apply by contacting the Farm Service Agency in their local USDA Service Centers or by visiting usda.gov. Higgins said he and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry also secured 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,” said Congressman Higgins in an issued statement. “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.”