Drought Assistance for 2012 and Beyond

Drought assistance for livestock producers is now available for 2012 and 2013.
By: Bethany Johnston, UNL Extension Educator

Remember the "flash" drought of 2012? Many areas of Nebraska and the rest of the country were still dry in 2013 and into 2014.

Drought assistance for livestock producers is now available for 2012 and 2013. Some counties are still eligible in 2014. There are two programs- the LFP and ELAP.

The LFP addresses drought loss on cattle grazing pastures. ELAP addresses other losses, perhaps hail or wildfire for example. A producer could have an application for both programs, but FSA will not pay for 2 or more losses on the same acre.

Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
The Livestock Forage Program (LFP) is for producers who own (or have risk in) cattle and the land they graze. Adult cattle (cows and bulls) and cattle over 500 pounds that should have went to grass are eligible.

You can document cattle numbers in a variety of ways. A cash flow sheet from the bank, copies of sale receipts for cattle sold, and other records may work to document cattle numbers. You will also need total acres and the legal description. Written lease agreements will be required. If you lease land verbally, the FSA office has a form for you to fill out.

The best starting place is to contact your local FSA office. They will be able to go through questions, update your records on file with them, and tell you what records you need to have to prove numbers.

The deadline to sign up for LFP is January 30, 2015. However, many FSA offices are booked to January. Please call your local FSA office for more information and to make an appointment.

Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program- ELAP
ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program) provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires.

Producers who suffered eligible losses during 2012 and/or 2013 program years must submit a notice of loss and application for payment to their local FSA office by August 1, 2014. For 2014 program year losses, the notice of loss and an application for payment must be submitted by November 1, 2014. Call for an appointment at the FSA office or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/ to locate an office near you.