Disaster Assistance

The 2014 Farm Bill, formerly known as the Agricultural Bill of 2014, makes the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) permanent programs and provides retroactive authority to cover eligible losses back to Oct. 1, 2011.

LFP provides compensation to eligible producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought and fire.  LIP provides compensation to livestock producers who suffered livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the Federal Government or protected by Federal law, including wolves and avian predators.

USDA is determined to make implementing the livestock disaster programs a top priority and plans to open program enrollment by April 15th, 2014.

As USDA begins implementing the livestock disaster assistance programs, producers should record all pertinent information of natural disaster consequences, including:

• Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died, supplemented if possible by photographs or video records of ownership and loss.
• Dates of death supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts.
• Cost of transporting livestock to safer grounds or to move animals to new pastures.
• Feed purchases if supplies or grazing pastures are destroyed.
• Crop records, including seed and fertilizer purchases, planting and production records.
• Pictures of on-farm storage facilities that were destroyed by wind or flood waters.
• Evidence of damaged farmland.

Many producers still have questions.  USDA is in the process of interpreting the Farm Bill program regulations.  Additional information will be provided once enrollment period is announced.  In the meantime, producers can review the LIP and LFP fact sheet.  The USDA is working dilligently to put the Farm Bill programs into action to benefit the Farmers and Ranchers of rural America.