As we move into the holiday season, it’s important to not forget a few pending deadlines. The Livestock Forage Disaster Program application will be due at the end of January. Additionally, updates to ELAP may provide payments if producers were required to transport feed.
Dates and Deadlines
11/30/2021 – Virtual wheat and soil field days
12/1/2021 – Texas Wheat Symposium
12/7/2021 – Swisher County Ag Meeting
12/8/2021 – Armstrong County Fall Producers Meeting
1/19 – 1/20/2022 – Red River Crops Conference
1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 2/9, 2/10, 2/23, 2/24, 3/9, 3/10/2021 – Amarillo Master Marketer
What We’re Reading
Prescribed burn kit launch aims at education, advocacy – AgriLife Today
Adaptive swarm robotics could revolutionize smart agriculture – AgriLife Today
Small processing plant expansion: Knee-jerk or trend? Southwest FarmPress
Efficient fertilizer is key in 2022 – Southwest FarmPress
Livestock Forage Disaster Program
LFP provides payments to eligible livestock owners and contract growers who have covered livestock, and are producers of grazed forage crop acreage or certain crops planted specifically for grazing that have suffered a loss of grazed forage due to qualifying drought.
A livestock owner or contract grower who also produces forage crops that are owned or leased are eligible for payments from LFP. Payments are based on the duration a given county was designated in different drought statuses. The table below provides the number of monthly payments based on durations spent in each drought category. Additionally, the final section of this post includes maps updated November 18, 2021 with the number of payment months by crop by county. Most counties on the Texas High Plains qualify for payments under at least one crop.
Monthly Payments by Time Period County Designated in Given Drought Status
Eligible livestock run the gamut of normal species. Beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and goats are all eligible for payments, as are a long list of unique species. These include beefalo, buffalo, deer, equine, elk, reindeer, alpacas, emus and llamas.
More important than the species is the grazing status of these livestock. Eligible animals include those that are or WOULD HAVE BEEN grazing the eligible land during the normal grazing period for a specific type of forage. This is a key provision if you are concerned about access to payments due to drought-induced culling. Eligible livestock must have been owned, leased, purchased, or contracted during the 60 days prior to the beginning date of the qualifying drought. Eligible livestock include those sold or otherwise disposed of due to qualifying drought conditions. Any eligible livestock must be owned for commercial operations and not for recreation or hunting.
Program enrollment for eligible producers is conducted through FSA. Application for payments and required supporting documents proving inventory are due to the FSA office within 30 calendar days after the end of the of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred (typically the end of January).
Payments
The LFP monthly payment rate, applied based on the conditions outlined in the previous section, is equal to 60% of the lesser of either the monthly feed cost:
- For all covered livestock owned/leased or
- Calculated by using the normal carrying capacity of the eligible grazing land of the eligible producer.
Total LFP payments to a producer will not exceed five monthly payments for the same kind, type, and weight range of livestock. Payment limits for LFP (without regard to any other program) are set at $125,000. AGI rules apply.
2021 Payment Rates for Common Livestock Species
Eligible Crops by County
The maps below represent the number of LFP-eligible commodity months by county. Now, using the 2021 Payment Rates table above and the number of eligible months from a select county below, you can estimate your total LFP payment for a given crop in a given county. Lets consider Swisher county native pasture as our payment crop. Using the map below you can see that growers of native pasture in Swisher county are eligible for four monthly payments. If they were grazing 10, 500+ pound beef calves their payment would be:
Payment = Payment Rate * Payment Months = ($23.38/head * 10 head) * 4 = $935.20
LFP Month Key
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP)
ELAP provides financial assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease, certain adverse weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires. The program differs from LFP in that it provides payments for different perils. ELAP provides assistance for livestock feed and grazing losses that are not due to drought or wildfires on federally managed lands; losses resulting from the cost of transporting water to livestock due to an eligible drought; losses resulting from the additional cost associated with gathering livestock for treatment and/or inspection related to cattle tick fever, honeybee feed, colony and hive losses; and farm-raised fish feed and death losses.
A very recent update includes provisions to pay to help cover the cost of transporting feed for livestock that rely on grazing. This includes places where:
- Drought intensity is D2 for eight consecutive weeks as indicated by the U.S. Drought Monitor;
- Drought intensity is D3 or greater; or
- USDA has determined a shortage of local or regional feed availability.
To be eligible for ELAP assistance, livestock must be intended for grazing and producers must have incurred feed transportation costs on or after Jan. 1, 2021. Although producers will self-certify losses and expenses to FSA, producers are encouraged to maintain good records and retain receipts and related documentation in the event these documents are requested for review by the local FSA County Committee.
Payment Calculations
USDA will reimburse eligible ranchers 60% of feed transportation costs above what would have been incurred in a normal year. USDA uses a national cost formula to determine reimbursement costs that will not include the first 25 miles and distances exceeding 1,000 transportation miles. The calculation will also exclude the normal cost to transport hay or feed if the producer normally purchases some feed. For 2021, the initial cost formula of $6.60 per mile will be used (before the percentage is applied).
A decision tool is available to estimate payments under the new ELAP provision. Note, this is not an application, but will help you estimate expected payments under ELAP for feed transportation. To use the tool producers will need:
- Number of truckloads for this year.
- Mileage per truckload this year.
- Share of feed cost this year (if splitting loads).
- Number of truckloads you normally haul.
- Normal mileage per truckload.
- Share of normal feed cost
Livestock Indemnity Program
Finally, don’t forget the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). This program provides payments for livestock that are lost or injured under eligible adverse weather event, due to eligible disease, or due to eligible attack. Applications are due no less than 30 days after the eligible loss and no more than 60 days into the following calendar year.
2021 LIP Payment Rates
