A change by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency authorizes local FSA county committees to the Livestock Indemnity Program will give agricultural producers who have lost livestock to disease resulting from a weather disaster an additional way to become eligible for the disaster assistance program.
USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey announced that the program will accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. The committees may then use this certification to allow eligibility for producers on a case-by-case basis for LIP, according to a news release.
“This change is part of USDA’s broader effort to better serve America’s farmers, ranchers and foresters through flexible and effective programs,” Northey said.
LIP provides benefits to agricultural producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government. Eligible weather events include earthquakes, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, storms, blizzard and flooding, according to the news release.
