FSA lists available disaster assistance

From Montana Farm Service Agency

People who have suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to recent wildfires may may be eligible for disaster assistance programs through the USDA Farm Service Agency.

The Livestock Indemnity Program offers payments for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.

To participate in LIP, people are required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event, and they must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. To participate in ELAP, people must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent and should maintain documentation and receipts.

They should record all pertinent information regarding livestock losses due to the eligible adverse weather or loss condition, including:

• Documentation of the number, kind, type, and weight range of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and losses;

• Rendering truck receipts by kind, type and weight — important to document prior to disposal;

• Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts;

• Documentation from Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Department of Natural Resources, or other sources to substantiate eligible death losses due to an eligible loss condition;

• Documentation that livestock were removed from grazing pastures due to an eligible adverse weather or loss condition;

• Costs of transporting livestock feed to eligible livestock, such as receipts for equipment rental fees for hay lifts and snow removal;

• Feed purchase receipts if feed supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed;

• Number of gallons of water transported to livestock due to water shortages.

For more information on these programs and documentation requirements, people can contact their local FSA office and visit http://farmers.gov .

Disaster Assistance for 2021 Livestock Forage Losses in 50 Montana counties

One more Montana county triggered; U.S. Drought Monitor updated weekly

Livestock producers in 50 Montana counties are eligible to apply for 2021 Livestock Forage Disaster Program benefits on small grain, native pasture, improved pasture, annual ryegrass, and forage sorghum.

LFP provides compensation if you suffer grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or leased land or fire on federally managed land.

County committees can only accept LFP applications after notification is received by the National Office of qualifying drought or if a federal agency prohibits producers from grazing normal permitted livestock on federally managed lands due to qualifying fire.

The following 50 Montana counties have triggered the 2021 LFP drought criteria as of Aug. 19: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Golden Valley, Granite, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, McCone, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Powell, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sanders, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux and Yellowstone. Producers must complete a CCC-853 and the required supporting documentation no later than January 31, 2022, for 2021 losses.

For more information about LFP, including eligible livestock and fire criteria, people can contact the local USDA Service Center and visit http://www.farmers.gov and http://fsa.usda.gov/mt .

USDA offers drought-impacted Montana farmers and ranchers disaster assistance

USDA’s Farm Service Agency offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan programs to assist producers in their recovery efforts following drought. Available programs and loans include:

• Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program — provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including qualifying drought (includes native grass for grazing). NAP Application for Coverage must have been obtained by the Sales Closing date to be eligible for this program.

• Livestock Forage Disaster Program — provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land.

• Livestock Indemnity Program — offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Drought is not an eligible adverse weather event, except when associated with anthrax, a condition that occurs because of drought and directly results in the death of eligible livestock.  

• Tree Assistance Program — provides assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for qualifying tree, shrub and vine losses due to natural disasters including excessive wind and qualifying drought.

• Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program — provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.

• Emergency Loan Program — available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses.

• Emergency Conservation Program — provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.

To establish or retain FSA program eligibility, people must report prevented planting and failed acres (crops and grasses). Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and Risk Management Agency.