Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)

Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)  

 

What is this program?

This program offers assistance to livestock producers to help with grazing losses caused by a qualifying drought. LFP also provides payments to livestock producers on rangeland managed by a federal agency if grazing is prohibited due to a qualifying fire.

 

 

How can I use this program?

LFP can be used to recover from financial hardships related to the following:

1. Grazing losses due to drought: For losses due to drought, FSA will calculate payments equal to 1, 3, 4 or 5 times the LFP monthly payment rate (see page 4 of the LFP Fact Sheet). The payment rate for drought is equal to 60% of the lesser of the monthly feed cost for all covered livestock or the normal carrying capacity of the grazing land.

   If your county is designated…	For at least…	You may get assistance payments equal to…
   D2 (severe drought)	At least 8 consecutive weeks	1 month
   D3 (extreme drought)	One day	3 month
   	4 nonconsecutive weeks	4 months
   D4 (exceptional drought)	One day	4 months
   	1 nonconsecutive weeks	5 months

2. Sold or otherwise disposing of livestock because of qualifying drought conditions: The payment rate will equal 80 percent of the LFP monthly payment rate (see page 4 of the LFP Fact Sheet).
3. Grazing losses due to fire on federally managed rangeland that prohibits grazing: The payment rate is 50 percent of the monthly feed cost for the number of days the owner or contract grower is prohibited from having livestock graze the managed rangeland because of a qualifying fire, not to exceed 180 calendar days.

 

Who or what is eligible and what are the eligibility requirements?

Eligible applicants:

• Must be a U.S. citizen, resident alien, partnership of U.S. citizens, a legal entity organized under state law, or an Indian tribe or tribal organization defined in the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act
• Must own, cash or share lease, or be a contract grower of covered livestock during the 60 calendar days before the beginning date of a qualifying drought or fire
• Must provide pastureland or grazing land for covered livestock, including cash-rented pastureland or grazing land as of the date of the qualifying drought or fire that is either:
  • Physically located in a county affected by a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the county; or
  • Rangeland managed by a federal agency for which the otherwise eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normally permitted livestock because of a qualifying fire.
• Must certify that they have suffered a grazing loss because of a qualifying drought or fire
• Must file a timely acreage report for all grazing land for the grazing loss claim

Eligible droughts:

• Grazing land or pastureland physically located in a county rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor as having a D2 (severe drought), D3 (extreme drought), or D4 (exceptional drought) during the normal grazing period
• View a map of eligible counties for LFP drought.
• The qualifying drought and qualifying grazing losses must have occurred during the grazing period.

Eligible livestock:

• Eligible livestock are animals that are primarily fed by grazing of forage grasses or legumes and include such species as alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/ bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer, or sheep.
• Eligible Livestock must meet the following criteria:
  • Have been grazing or intended to graze the eligible grazing land or pastureland:
    • During the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land or pastureland for the county; or
    • When the federal agency prohibited the livestock owner or contract grower from having livestock graze the normally permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to fire
  • Have been owned, leased, purchased, entered into a contract to purchase, or held by a contract grower during the 60 days prior to the beginning date of a qualifying drought or fire condition
  • Have been sold or otherwise disposed of due to a qualifying drought condition during the current production year or up to two production years immediately preceding the current production year if there is a systemic drought condition
  • Have been maintained for commercial use as part of a farming operation on the beginning date of the eligible drought or fire condition
  • Not have been produced and maintained for reasons other than commercial use as part of a farming operation. Such excluded uses include, but are not limited to, wild free-roaming animals or animals used for racing or wagering, hunting, , or consumption by the owner.
  • Not have been livestock that were or would have been in a feedlot on the beginning date of the qualifying drought or fire as part of the normal business operation of the livestock owner or contract grower.

Are there any deadlines?

The application deadline is 30 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred.

 

Is there anything else I should know?

• The maximum annual per person and legal entity payment limitation for LFP is $125,000.
• Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) provisions apply. Specifically, a person or legal entity with an AGI that exceeds $900,000 will not be eligible for benefits under LFP.
• The total LFP payments to an eligible livestock owner or contract grower in a calendar year for grazing losses will not exceed five (5) monthly payments for the same kind, type, and weight range of livestock.

 

How do I apply?

• Provide a completed application for payment and required supporting documentation to your local FSA office by the deadline.
• Contract growers must include a copy of the grower contract and any other supporting documents required for determining contract grower eligibility.
• Supporting documents must show evidence of loss and that grazing land or pastureland is owned or leased. If a loss of grazing was due to a fire, supporting documentation received from that federal agency must be provided.

 

 

 

Page last updated: May 2, 2023