Livestock Forage Disaster Program

The objective of LFP is to provide financial assistance from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund (Trust Fund). The Secretary of Agriculture (henceforth the Secretary) has the authority to use sums from the Trust Fund to provide compensation

LFP is to provide financial assistance from the Agricultural Disaster Relief Trust Fund (Trust Fund) for compensation to livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on or after January 1, 2008, and before October 1, 2011. The eligible grazing losses must occur within the same calendar year for which benefits are being requested.

An eligible applicant or livestock producer may use assistance for grazing or fire losses for any specific purpose. Eligible covered livestock includes cattle (including dairy cattle); buffalo/beefalo/ alpacas, deer, elk, emu, equine, goats, llamas, poultry; reindeer, sheep; swine; and other livestock as determined by the Secretary.

Beneficiary eligibility is extended to an eligible livestock producer who is an owner, cash share lessee, a contract grower of covered livestock that provides the pasture land or grazing land (including cash-leased pasture land or grazing land for the livestock) that is physically located in a county affected by drought. The term "eligible livestock producer" does not include an owner, cash or share lessee, or contract grower of livestock that rents or leases pasture land or grazing land owned by another person on a rate-of-gain basis. The eligible producer on a farm must have during the 60 calendar days before the beginning date of a qualifying drought or fire, owned, cashed or share leased, or been a contract grower of eligible covered livestock. An eligible livestock producer must also be an individual or entity that is a citizen of the United States (U.S.); a resident alien; a partnership of citizens of the U.S.; or a corporation, limited liability corporation, or other farm organizational structure organized under State law. An eligible livestock producer shall only be eligible for assistance if the livestock producer meets the risk management purchase requirement by obtaining a policy or plan of insurance or filed the required paperwork and paid the administrative fee by the applicable State application closing deadline date for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the grazing land crop that incurred the loss for which assistance is being requested. For 2008 only, a waiver was authorized to allow producers to pay a buy-in fee or receive a waiver by September 16, 2008, for grazing land for which the producer did not obtain a policy or plan of insurance for 2008. The risk management purchase requirement will be waived for producers who are considered to be a socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher, limited resource farmer or rancher, or beginning farmer or rancher.

The assistance can be used to provide financial assistance for grazing losses due to drought equal to one, two, or three times the monthly payment rate to eligible livestock producers if the eligible livestock producer owns or leases a grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. drought Monitor as D2 Drought (severe drought) for at least eight consecutive weeks, D3 (extreme drought) at any time or for four weeks (not necessarily four consecutive weeks), or a D4 (exceptional drought at anytime) during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county. ATRA provides extending benefits to livestock producers for grazing losses due to drought and wildfires on Federal lands through September 30, 2013, subject to appropriations.

There are no restrictions place on the time permitted to spend the money awarded.

Payment Eligibility for Losses Due To Drought. An eligible livestock producer will be eligible to receive payments for grazing losses for qualifying drought equal to one, two, or three times the monthly payment rate. Total LFP payments to an eligible producer in a calendar year for grazing losses due to a qualifying drought will not exceed three monthly payments for the same livestock. To be eligible for a one month payment, the eligible livestock producer must own or lease grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having at least a D2 severe drought (intensity) in any area of the county for at least 8 consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland in the county. To be eligible for a three month payment, the eligible livestock producer must own or lease grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having at least a D3 extreme drought (intensity) in any area of the county at any time during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county. To be eligible for a four month payment, the eligible livestock producer must own or lease grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having at least a D3 extreme drought (intensity) in any area of the county for at least four weeks during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county, or is rated as having a D4 exceptional drought (intensity) in any area of the county at any time during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county. To be eligible for a five month payment, the eligible livestock producer must own or lease grazing land or pastureland that is physically located in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as have at least a D4 exceptional drought (intensity) in any area of the county for at least four weeks during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county. The monthly payment rate for grazing losses due to a qualifying drought for producers who suffer grazing losses on grazing lands located in a county due to drought will be equal to 60 percent of the lesser of the monthly feed cost for all covered livestock owned or leased by the eligible livestock producer or the monthly feed cost calculated using the normal carrying capacity of the eligible grazing land of the eligible livestock producer. If an eligible livestock producer sold or otherwise disposed of covered livestock due to a qualifying drought in one or bother of the two production year immediately preceding the current production year, the payment rate is 80 percent of the monthly payment rate. Payment Eligibility For Losses Due To Fire. Livestock producers who suffer grazing losses on grazing lands managed by a Federal agency due to a fire, will receive a payment equal to 50 percent of the monthly feed cost for the number of days the producer is prohibited from grazing the managed range-land because of the qualifying fire, not to exceed 180 calendar days. The payment begins on the first day the permitted livestock are prohibited from grazing the eligible range-land and ending on the earlier of the last day of the Federal lease of the eligible livestock producer or the day that would make the period a 180 calendar day period. ATRA provides extending benefits to livestock producers for grazing losses due to drought and wildfires on Federal lands through September 30, 2013, subject to appropriations. Payments for these losses will not occur if funds are not appropriated.

This program is no longer accepting application. To apply for LFP, producers that suffered eligible grazing losses during 2008 must have filed FSA-925 and required supporting documentation by no later that December 10, 2009. Producers that suffered eligible grazing losses during 2009 and later years must have submitted a completed FSA-925 and supporting documentation to the administrative FSA county office no later than 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurs. Late filed applications were not be accepted.