Livestock Indemnity Program benefits available to Carter County producers

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director CED, Robin Markuson in Carter County recently announced that producers who suffered qualifying livestock losses due to natural disasters could be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

LIP provides livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters.

LIP compensates eligible livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to an eligible adverse weather event, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold.

A notice of loss must be filed with FSA within 30 days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. Livestock that die no later than 60 days from the ending date of the eligible loss condition may be considered eligible for loss benefits if the animal died because of the eligible loss condition. Producers must also file an application for payment no later than 90 days after the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred.”

The LIP national payment rate for eligible livestock owners is based on 75 percent of the average fair market value of the livestock.

Producers are required to bring supporting evidence, including documentation of the number and kind of livestock that died, photographs or video records to document the loss, purchase records, veterinarian records, production records and other documents.

According to Markuson, producers should contact the Carter County FSA office at (406) 775-6355 to schedule an appointment to submit a notice of loss, application for payment and required documentation.

For more information on LIP, please contact the county FSA office or visit FSA online at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.