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12.01.2007
Vineland — Farmers who suffered losses caused by natural disasters in recent years are reminded to sign up for three new ad hoc disaster programs, said Angela Andreoli, county executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Vineland.
These new programs are the new Livestock Compensation Program, Livestock Indemnity Program and Crop Disaster Program.
Eligible farmers and other livestock producers can apply to receive benefits under the sign-up for the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) began Sept. 10.
Registration for the Crop Disaster Program (CDP) began Oct. 15, and applies to farmers who suffered quantity losses to their crops. Sign-up end dates for these programs will be announced at a future date. USDA will also announce a sign-up for quality losses soon.
“Although ending dates for the sign-up periods have not yet been decided, it is important producers get their applications to their local FSA office as soon as possible. Timely applications will ensure they receive timely payments,” Andreoli said.
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 began in 2006 and continued into January 2007.
Livestock producers may elect to receive compensation for calendar year 2007 grazing season losses caused by a 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 who received an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice directly associated with a disaster declaration made by President Bush may also be eligible.
Producers with 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. 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, 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.
More information is available in a fact sheet, Agricultural Assistance Act of 2007, found on FSA’s Web site, http://www.fsa.usda.gov; click on Disaster Assistance Programs.