COLUMBUS — The USDA’s Farm Service Agency in Ohio was recently approved to accept Cache Valley Virus (CVV) as a qualifying disease for the FSA Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.
This emergency assistance covers losses due to an eligible adverse weather or eligible loss condition.
Cache Valley Virus is a virus that causes infertility, abortions and congenital abnormalities in sheep. The virus is spread by mosquitoes during early breeding season.
“Since Ohio experienced excessive moisture in the fall of 2013, this provided the CVV-infected mosquitoes with an ample and a favorable environment to flourish and cause losses to sheep producers across the state,” said Steven Maurer, FSA state executive director.
Ohio sheep producers did have an increase in the number of lambs infected with CVV in 2014, causing ewes to abort or have still births.
“It was important to have CVV approved as an eligible loss condition for sheep death losses under the 2014 ELAP program,” Maurer added.
Check local office
Sheep producers who have been affected by the Cache Valley Virus are encouraged to contact and make an appointment with their county FSA office. Producers who suffered eligible livestock losses during the 2014 program year must submit a notice of loss and application for payment to the local FSA office by Nov. 1, 2014.
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