October 5, 2015 - Nacogdoches, Texas - September 28, 2015 – The County Executive Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Nacogdoches-Angelina-Trinity-San Augustine-Shelby County, Lance Jacobs, announced today that ranchers and livestock producers may be eligible for assistance from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for grazing losses incurred in 2015.
According to Jacobs, “Nacogdoches, Angelina, Trinity, San Augustine and Shelby counties recently met qualifying drought ratings that ‘trigger’ eligibility for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program on improved pasture, native pasture and sorghum forage.”
The Livestock Forage Disaster Program provides compensation to livestock producers who have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire. For losses due to drought, qualifying drought ratings are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor located at http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.
Qualifying fires are those occurring on rangeland managed by a federal agency and the producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to the fire.
Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep or swine that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland during the normal grazing period.
Applications are required for 2015 losses. To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses in 2015 are encouraged to collect records documenting their losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases or federal grazing permits, contract grower agreements, and more.
“We encourage producers to contact our office for an appointment, and to learn what records are required to apply for assistance,” said Jacobs.
For more information, contact the Nacogdoches-Angelina-Trinity-San Augustine-Shelby County FSA office at 936-564-5891 Extension 2. Information can also be obtained online at: disaster.fsa.usda.gov.
