The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA), offers financial support to livestock producers who experience grazing losses due to qualifying drought conditions or fire on federally managed rangelands. The program is designed to help producers recover from significant forage losses, ensuring the continuity of their operations and the well-being of their livestock. LFP provides payments to eligible producers to compensate for lost grazing opportunities and to help cover additional feed costs incurred due to the disaster.
Program Features:
- Eligible Livestock: Includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, beefalo, buffalo/bison, goats, sheep, alpacas, deer, elk, emu, equine, llamas, reindeer, and ostrich. Livestock must be weaned to be eligible.
- Payment Rates: Payments are calculated based on the severity of the drought (as determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor) and the number of livestock units. For fire losses, payments are calculated based on the number of eligible livestock and the number of grazing days lost due to fire.
- Grazing Losses:
- Drought: Compensates for losses on privately owned or cash-leased land when the county is designated as experiencing drought conditions.
- Fire: Compensates for losses on federally managed rangeland if the producer is prohibited from grazing the normal permitted livestock due to fire.
- Documentation Requirements: Producer must provide copies of written cash leases or complete the annual lease agreement certification statement for eligible grazing land.
Additional Benefits:
- Financial Relief: Provides critical financial assistance to help producers cover additional feed costs and mitigate the economic impact of forage losses.
- Risk Management: Supports the resilience of livestock operations by helping producers manage the risks associated with natural disasters.
- Continuity of Operations: Ensures that livestock producers can continue their operations despite significant forage losses, promoting the stability of the agricultural sector.
How to Enroll: To apply for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, producers must submit an application to their local FSA office. The application process includes providing documentation of grazing losses, details of the disaster impact, and information about the eligible livestock. Detailed enrollment instructions and deadlines are available through the local FSA office or the official USDA website.
Eligibility: Eligible applicants include livestock producers who own or lease grazing land or pastureland in areas affected by drought or fire. Producers must provide verifiable documentation of grazing losses and meet all program requirements.
