By Bethany Johnston, Nebraska Extension Beef Educator, Beef Systems
Wintery weather and blizzard conditions swept much of Nebraska recently. Help may be available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) for producers who lost livestock due to the inclement weather conditions.
Stated State Executive Director of Nebraska FSA, Nancy Johner, “The recent blizzard may have caused losses for farmers and ranchers in (Nebraska). Natural disasters, such as blizzards, are unavoidable, but USDA has strong safety-net programs to help producers get back on their feet.”
The first step for producers who lost livestock in the blizzard is to contact the local FSA office. Producers generally have 30 days from the day the losses become apparent to notify FSA. The office will want to know the type and size of livestock that died, as well as the date(s) of the blizzard. The local FSA offices can be contacted via telephone, fax, or email. If you need contact information for your local office, go online to http://offices.usda.gov.
KEY FSA PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR LIVESTOCK
Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/livestock-indemnity/index
The Livestock Indemnity Program provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather. LIP payments are equal to 75% of the average fair market value of the livestock.
Producers will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible weather event, and must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 days of when the livestock loss is apparent.
If an animal dies as a result of the weather event after the 30 days, but the loss is due to the weather event, producers have a 60-day window after the weather event to submit documentation. Livestock must die as a direct result of the adverse weather event. An example would be calves exposed to the blizzard and died as a direct result of the blizzard would be eligible for LIP benefits.
Contact your local FSA office for more information on LIP.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index
The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program provides financial assistance to eligible producers who suffered livestock feed losses, had additional feed costs above normal, and/or had additional cost for transporting feed to livestock due to the recent blizzard conditions. ELAP assistance is provided for losses not covered by other disaster assistance programs (for example the LIP Program). ELAP covers physically damaged or destroyed livestock feed, additional cost for purchasing feed above normal quantities to maintain the livestock during an eligible adverse weather event, and/or additional cost for transporting feed to livestock during the eligible adverse weather event. Producers must submit a notice of loss to the local FSA office within 30 days of when the loss is apparent. Contact your local FSA office for more information.
DOCUMENTATION NEEDED TO VERIFY LIVESTOCK LOSS
Producers should keep records to document livestock losses.
The FSA office classifies documentation records into three categories: 1) Verifiable documentation (i.e. rendering truck receipt including the weight/kind/type of livestock or veterinarian records); 2) Reliable documentation (i.e. producer records such as calving books); or 3) Third-party certification. Producers must also provide beginning inventory numbers that are verifiable or reliable, depending on the type of loss records provided. Contact the local FSA office for more information.
DAMAGE TO FENCES DUE TO BLIZZARD
The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters. Fence loss due snow damage could be included in this program. This program must be authorized at the local level, and producers are encouraged to contact their local FSA office about the loss prior to beginning any reconstructive work.
For more information on FSA disaster assistance programs, please contact your local USDA service center. To find your local USDA service center, go to http://offices.usda.gov.