Farmers can sign up for disaster assistance programs, re-established and strengthened by the 2014 Farm Bill.
The Livestock Indemnity Program and the Livestock Forage Disaster Program provide payments to eligible producers for livestock deaths and grazing losses that have occurred since the expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011, and including calendar years 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Enrollment has also begun for producers with losses covered by the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program and the Tree Assistance Program in 2011, when the programs expired, through 2014.
Producers in 32 Wisconsin counties are eligible for the Livestock Forage Program due to grazing losses suffered during the 2012 crop year. For a producer to be eligible, the county the producer’s operation resides in must meet certain federal drought criteria regulations. No Wisconsin counties met the federal drought criteria for 2013.
ELAP 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 wildfires.
TAP provides financial assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.
LIP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law.
LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire.
For more information, producers are encouraged to review the 2014 Farm Bill Fact Sheet, check out the LIP, LFP, ELAP and TAP fact sheets online, or call the local Farm Service Agency office at 920-834-2366.
Categories
