Texas livestock producers in 174 counties may be eligible for 2015 USDA drought disaster assistance

Source: USDA-Farm Service Agency, Texas
The State Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Texas, Judith A. Canales, reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for grazing losses incurred in 2015.
According to Canales, 174 Counties in Texas have met qualifying drought ratings that trigger eligibility for 2015 livestock disaster assistance. To determine if a county is eligible for LFP assistance, view the complete list of qualifying counties at the Texas LFP County List.
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program provides compensation to livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire. For losses due to drought, qualifying drought ratings are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor located at www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html. Qualifying fires are those occurring on rangeland managed by a federal agency and the producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to the fire.
Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep or swine that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period.
Applications are required for 2015 losses. To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses in 2015 are encouraged to gather and submit records documenting their losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases or federal grazing permits, contract grower agreements, and more.
“We encourage producers to contact their local office for an appointment, and to learn what records are required to apply for assistance,” said Canales.
For more information, contact your nearest county FSA office. To find a local office, visit offices.usda.gov. Program information can also be obtained online at: disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program was made possible by the farm bill and builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past six years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for the taxpayer. Since enactment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life in rural America.
For more information, visit www.usda.gov/farmbill.