FSA Announces Eligible Counties for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)

Lexington, October 14, 2009 – On October 2, Secretary Vilsack announced the eligible counties for the LFP Program where producers can receive disaster payments for forage losses due to severe drought. Producers are reminded that LFP sign up for 2008 losses began on September 14, 2009, and ends Dec. 10, 2009, and Jan. 30, 2010, for 2009 losses.

LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered livestock grazing losses due to qualifying drought or fire. For drought, the losses must have occurred on land that is native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or a crop planted specifically for grazing for covered livestock due to a qualifying drought during the normal grazing period for the specific type of grazing land in the county. For fire, LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers that have suffered grazing losses on rangeland managed by a federal agency if the eligible livestock producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on the managed rangeland due to a qualifying fire.

Eligible Kentucky counties for the 2008 calendar year are: Adair, Bell, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Harlan, Knox, Laurel, Lincoln, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Russell, Wayne and Whitley. Currently no counties are eligible for 2009.

Eligible livestock under LFP include beef cattle, alpacas, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, poultry, reindeer, sheep and swine. For losses due to drought, qualifying drought ratings are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor located at http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html.

For additional information regarding the LFP program, contact your local FSA Service Center.