USDA Offers Texas (Akaushi) Cattle Ranchers Drought Assistance

Back in the President Trump days of COVID livestock producers could receive payments and handouts mainly in the form from CFAP and PPP programs. For cattle producers this was all brand new and of course many were apprehensive including myself. It went well and opened the eyes to many cattle producers of the programs offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

If you have been impacted by drought be sure to reach out to your local county USDA Service Centers (i.e., FSA and NRCS offices). Below is a list I took from my local USDA newsletter that outlines programs that fit cattle producers:

· Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) - provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters including qualifying drought (includes native grass for grazing).

· Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) – provides compensation to eligible livestock producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land

· Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) - offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Drought is not an eligible adverse weather event, except when associated with anthrax, a condition that occurs because of drought and directly results in the death of eligible livestock.

· Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program (ELAP) - provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs.

· Emergency Loan Program – available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses.

· Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) - provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.

(Cited from USDA, Schleicher-Sutton-ValVerde Co.USDA ServiceCenter Updates, monthly newsletter, September, 2023.)