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 to livestock producers who suffered grazing losses due to drought or fire. For drought, the losses must have occurred because of a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or is planted to a crop planted specifically for grazing covered livestock. For fire, LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses on range land managed by a Federal agency if the eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the Federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed range land because of a qualifying fire. Eligible grazing losses must have occurred 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.

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.

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.

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.