In the aftermath of any storm or natural disaster, USDA offers many programs to help agricultural producers get back into business. Karis Gutter, Acting Deputy Undersecretary for USDA’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services:
“Rather than being the disaster response agency, USDA is the disaster recovery agency. So, we’ve got a number of resources available, and programs available that can help producers recover from the disasters and the storms.”
We first heard about it after the April 16th tornados; a cost share program known as the Emergency Conservation program, as well as other emergency loans:
“As it relates to protecting your home and your property, the Farm and Foreign Ag Services we’ve got FSA’s emergency Loan Program that help recover and recoup some of the damage and loss there, where producers have access, immediate access to loan programs. We’ve got the Emergency Conservation Program that’s available and the Emergency Conservation Program primarily helps producers with debris removal and cleanup.”
There’s also programs for crop losses:
“From the damage, we then have programs that help with crop losses for farmers. The Federal Crop Insurance Program is the federally administered through RMA. And so any producers that have experienced crop losses should reach out to their crop insurance agent and update their policies there. but, we’ve also got a litany of programs through FSA’s Farm Services Agency. FSA, we’ve got the Non-Insurance Assistance Program, or NAP. NAP helps farmers that have had yield losses, or other inventory or other prevented planted losses. We’ve got the Tree Assistance Program that helps nursery farmers recoup from those damages in and along the east coast.”
Even if your operation doesn’t fall directly into one of the aforementioned situations, Gutter says that it’s a good idea to check in with your county FSA:
“But, we’ve also got farmers that just need to check in with FSA’s office to see what other programs they may be eligible for, like SURE, and other program that make payouts later.”
As for producers that suffered livestock losses:
“And on the livestock side, we’ve got the Livestock Forage Program that helps with grazing losses, we’ve got the Livestock Indemnity Program and the ELAP Program, the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program. Those two programs deal with livestock deaths due to excess or abnormal mortality due to the adverse weather.”
So, Gutter says, there’s relief for most any weather related loss:
“So, we’ve got a slew of different programs that help protect the property, the crops, and the livestock losses that may be affecting farmers and producers along the east coast, as well as farmers and ranchers inland who have taken a pounding this year due to other weather ailments such as the floods and the drought in the southwest.”
Acting Deputy Undersecretary for USDA’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, Karis Gutter
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