BOZEMAN, MT, July 15, 2021 – Farms in Montana have been significantly affected by the ongoing severe drought. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance to help farmers and ranchers recover. As agricultural producers enter recovery mode and assess damage, they should contact their local USDA service center to report losses and learn more about the program options available to help them recover from losses. and damage to crops, land, infrastructure and livestock.

“Sadly, conditions continue to deteriorate in Montana, with more than half of the state experiencing severe to extreme drought,†said Gloria Montaño Greene as assistant undersecretary for crop production and conservation ( FPAC). “I am grateful that the USDA can step in with disaster assistance programs designed to alleviate some of the financial impact suffered by agricultural producers suffering from drought losses.”

USDA Disaster Assistance for Drought Recovery

Producers who experience livestock deaths and food losses from natural disasters may be eligible for the Livestock, Bee and Fish Emergency Assistance Program (ELAP). This program also provides compensation to eligible producers for expenses associated with transporting water to livestock physically located in a county designated as “D3 Drought – Extreme†according to the US Drought Monitor. For ELAP, producers will be required to file a notice of livestock loss within 30 days and bee loss notices within 15 days of onset of loss.

Pastoralists may also be eligible for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for 2021 pasture losses due to drought. LFP benefits may be available for loss of acres of pasture due to forest fires on federally managed land on which a producer is prohibited, by a federal agency, from grazing normally licensed livestock.

In addition, emergency haymaking and grazing of CRP acres may be permitted (outside of the primary nesting season) to assist cattle ranchers in areas affected by severe drought or similar natural disaster. Emergency haymaking and grazing status is reviewed and cleared every Thursday using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Counties are approved for emergency haymaking and grazing due to drought conditions, county by county, when a county is designated as “D2 Drought – Severe†according to the US Drought Monitor.

Eligible orchards and nurserymen may be eligible for cost-shared assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, shrubs or vines lost during drought. This complements the Uninsured Agricultural Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program request must be submitted within 90 days.

“As soon as you can assess the impact of drought on your farm, be sure to contact your local FSA office to timely report all damage and loss to crops, livestock and agricultural infrastructure,” he said. said Les Rispens, acting executive director of the Farm Service Agency. FSA) in Montana. “To expedite FSA disaster assistance, you will likely need to provide documentation, such as farm records, a herd inventory, receipts, and photos of damage or loss.”

FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed loans, including operational and emergency loans, to producers unable to obtain commercial financing. Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Loans can help producers replace essential goods, buy inputs such as livestock, equipment, feed and seeds, cover family living costs, or refinance farm and farm debts. other needs.

Risk management

Growers protected against risk through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA’s NAP must report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or FSA office, respectively. If they have crop insurance, growers must report crop damage to their agent within 72 hours of discovery of the damage and follow up in writing within 15 days. For crops covered by PAN, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the onset of loss, except for crops harvested by hand, which must be reported within 72 hours.

“Crop insurance and other USDA risk management options are here to help growers manage risk because we never know what nature has in store for us in the future,†Eric said. Bashore, director of the RMA regional office that covers Montana. “Licensed insurers, adjusters and agents are experienced and well trained to handle these types of events. “

Additionally, the RMA authorized emergency procedures earlier this month to help agricultural producers affected by extreme drought conditions. Emergency procedures allow insurance companies to accept delayed loss notices in certain situations, streamline paperwork, and reduce the number of representative samples required when damage is constant. Read more in RMA’s press release of July 13, 2021.

Preservation

FSA offers the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program to help landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore damaged fences, farmland or forests.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is always available to provide technical assistance in the recovery process by helping growers plan and implement conservation practices on farms, ranches and logged forests. affected by natural disasters.

Long-term damage from drought includes loss of forage production in pastures and fields and increased wind erosion on cultivated fields not protected by soil health practices. Visit your local USDA service center to learn more about these impacts, potential recovery tactics, and how to take action to make your land more drought tolerant in the future.

“Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to assess damage and develop approaches focused on effective land reclamation to keep working lands in working order and help maintain the economic sustainability of many of our rural communities,†said Tom Watson, state ecologist for NRCS in Montana.

More information

On Farmers.gov, the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster at-a-Glance Factsheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool can help producers and homeowners land tenure to determine program or loan options. For assistance with a crop insurance claim, growers and landowners should contact their crop insurance agent. For assistance from the FSA and NRCS, they should contact their local USDA service center.

The USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris administration, the USDA is transforming the American food system with a greater emphasis on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to healthy food and nutrients in all communities, creating new markets and sources of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in clean energy infrastructure and capacity in rural areas America, and a commitment to equity department-wide by removing systemic barriers and creating a workforce that is more representative of America. To learn more, visit http://www.usda.gov.

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