USDA announces Drought Recovery Assistance for livestock producers

Stephens County livestock producers are eligible to apply for financial assistance due to grazing losses during 2022 from a qualifying drought or wildfire. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced last week details surrounding the program.

The FSA is now accepting applications for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) to provide financial assistance to eligible livestock producers for 2022 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought or wildfire. The deadline to apply for 2022 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2023.

To date, 225 Texas counties have met the drought severity levels that trigger LFP eligibility for the 2022 program year. For LFP, qualifying drought triggers are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Visit www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/live… for a list of eligible counties and grazing crops.

“Persistent severe and extreme drought conditions in Texas have caused substantial economic distress for agricultural and livestock producers” Kelly Adkins, State Executive Director for the FSA in Texas, said. “Eligible producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office to schedule an appointment to apply for LFP drought recovery assistance.”

LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers and contract growers who also produce forage crops for grazing and suffered losses due to a qualifying drought or fire during the normal grazing period for the county. Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period.

To expedite the application process, producers are encouraged to gather and submit records documenting 2022 losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases, contract grower agreements, and more.

LFP is part of a broader suite of disaster assistance available through USDA.

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), which also has a Jan. 30, 2023, deadline, provides eligible producers with compensation for certain feed losses not covered by LFP. ELAP also covers above normal costs associated with hauling water to livestock and transporting feed to livestock.

Additional relief is also available through ELAP to help ranchers cover above normal costs of hauling livestock to forage or other grazing acres. The deadline to apply for 2021 hauling livestock to forage assistance is June 30, 2022.

More disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Farmers.gov Drought Webpage, Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool.

For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, including LFP and ELAP, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center. Service Center staff continue to work with agricultural producers via phone, email, and other digital tools. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent.

“USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America,” a release from the agency stated.

To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.