The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that farmers and ranchers–including horse breeding farms and ranches–can sign-up for disaster assistance programs, reestablished by the 2014 Farm Bill, beginning Tuesday, April 15.

The 2014 Farm bill reauthorized the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP), the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), and the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program (ELAP), which had expired in 2011. These programs are administrated by the USDA Farm Service Administration (FSA) and compensate livestock producers, including horse breeding farms and ranches, for the loss of animals from natural disasters and diseases, and help producers who have lost grazing land from drought pay for feed.

LIP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Eligible livestock includes beef cattle, dairy cattle, bison, poultry, sheep, swine, horses and other livestock as determined by the Secretary.

LFP provides compensation to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire on publicly managed land. An eligible livestock producer must own, cash lease or be a contract grower of eligible livestock during the 60 calendar days before the beginning date of the qualifying drought or fire in a county that is rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as D2, D3 or D4.

ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

For more information or to determine your eligibility visit the FSA disaster assistance website http://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=diap&topic=landing or contact your local FSA office.

Please contact the AHC if you have any questions.