WASHINGTON — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced eligible ranchers and livestock producers can begin applying for benefits under the provisions of the Livestock Indemnity Program in the 2008 farm bill.
“This program will provide livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters,” said Vilsack.
Result from disaster
The Livestock Indemnity Program provides assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from disaster.
Using funds from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund established under Section 902 of the Trade Act of 1974, the program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency.
The program compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold.
Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011.
Other assistance programs
Specific provisions for the other supplemental agricultural disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Act — the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees and Farm-Raised Fish and the Tree Assistance Program — will be implemented through separate rulemakings and announced at a later date.
The following table provides the final dates to file a notice of loss and/or application for payment for either 2008 or 2009 livestock losses.
Date of Livestock Death
Final Date to File a Notice of Loss
Final Date to Submit an Application for Payment
Calendar Year 2008
Sept. 13, 2009
Sept. 13, 2009
Jan.1, 2009 to July 12, 2009
Sept. 13, 2009
Jan. 30, 2010
July 13, 2009 to Dec. 31, 2009
30 days after death is apparent
Jan. 30, 2010
