CUSTER COUNTY – The USDA Farm Services Agency has issued a statement reminding ranchers and livestock producers that the deadline to apply for financial assistance due to qualifying drought or fire impact over the past year is January 30 of 2023.
The two programs with the end-of-January program are the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP).
In 2022, 69 counties throughout the state have met drought severity levels that allow for potential LFP assistance, including Custer and every single one of its surrounding counties. Qualifying drought conditions are measured using the U.S. Drought Monitor classifications throughout the grazing season.
The Livestock Forage Disaster program provides payments to eligible livestock producers and contract growers who have risk in eligible grazing land or produce forage crops for grazing, and who have suffered losses due to drought conditions during the grazing season.
ELAP provides producers compensation for losses not covered by the LFP, including feed and grazing losses due to wildfire and assistance with water and feed transportation to grazing livestock.
Producers interested in applying for the programs are encouraged to gather records pertinent to the application in advance, and contact their local Farm Service Agency for additional information as well as to find out what manner of documentation they may need.
