Dateline: September 6, 2007
USDA
announces sign-up dates for new programs
WASHINGTON – The U.S.
Department of Agriculture has announced sign-up dates for the new
Livestock Compensation Program, Livestock Indemnity Program, and Crop
Disaster Program.
The three ad hoc disaster
programs provide benefits to farmers and ranchers who suffered losses
caused by natural disasters in recent years.
Eligible ranchers and
other livestock producers can apply to receive benefits under the
Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP)
beginning Sept. 10, 2007. Eligible farmers can sign-up for the Crop
Disaster Program (CDP) beginning Oct. 15, 2007, if they suffered quantity
losses to their crops. USDA will announce and conduct CDP sign-up for
quality losses as soon as possible.
LCP compensates livestock
producers for feed losses occurring between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28,
2007, due to a natural disaster. This can include producers who suffered
losses resulting from blizzards that started in 2006 and continued into
January 2007. Livestock producers may elect to receive compensation for
calendar year 2007 grazing season losses that are attributable to wildfire
natural disaster occurring during the applicable period as determined by
the Secretary of Agriculture. Producers in primary counties declared
secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared presidential
disaster areas between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are eligible as
are producers located in counties contiguous to those counties. Also,
producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that received an
Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster
declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible. Producers
incurring a loss in more than one of the 2005, 2006, or 2007 calendar
years must choose only one year for which they want to apply for benefits.
LIP compensates livestock
producers for livestock losses between Jan. 1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007,
that resulted from natural disasters, including losses due to blizzards
that started in 2006 and continued into January 2007. Producers in primary
counties declared secretarial disaster areas or certain counties declared
presidential disaster areas between Jan.1, 2005, and Feb. 28, 2007, are
eligible as are producers located in counties contiguous to those
counties. Also, producers in a primary (or contiguous) county that
received an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated
with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible.
Producers incurring eligible livestock losses in more than one of the
2005, 2006, or 2007 calendar years must choose only one year for which
they want to apply for benefits.
CDP provides benefits to
farmers who suffered quantity and quality losses to 2005, 2006, or 2007
crops from natural disasters if the crop was planted before Feb. 28, 2007,
or, in the case of prevented plantings, for crops that would have been
planted before Feb. 28, 2007. Producers who incurred qualifying losses in
2005, 2006, or 2007 must choose only one year to apply for benefits.
Producers may apply for benefits for losses to multiple commodities as
long as the losses occurred in the same crop year. Only producers who
obtained crop insurance coverage or coverage under the Noninsured Crop
Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) for the year of loss will be eligible
for CDP benefits. Producers must have suffered quantity losses in excess
of 35 percent to be eligible for CDP.
On May 25, 2007,
President George W. Bush signed into law the “U.S. Troop Readiness,
Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations
Act, 2007” (2007 Act). The 2007 Act authorizes LCP, LIP and CDP. It also
authorizes funding for the Emergency Forestry Conservation Reserve Program
(EFCRP), Emergency Conservation Program and Dairy Disaster Assistance
Program III (DDAP-III). USDA recently announced sign-up for EFCRP and the
distribution of funds to 18 states under ECP.
USDA will announce and
conduct sign-up for DDAP-III as soon as possible. USDA’s Farm Service
Agency (FSA) is charged with administering the programs.