FSA reminds farmers about repair funding

Recent severe weather has caused a tremendous amount of damage from Story County to the Mississippi.

“This is a difficult time for many of our producers,” said John R. Whitaker, State Executive Director for USDA's Farm Service Agency in Iowa.

“We need to make sure that producers report damage and losses, so that they do not miss an opportunity for funding under our programs. The Farm Service Agency has programs for livestock, debris removal and loans for physical losses."

The Emergency Conservation Program provides funding to repair farmland damaged by natural disasters. That includes debris removal, restoring fences and repairing existing conservation structures.

Whitaker stated that before this program can be implemented, need must be determined, making it important for producers to report damages before cleanup begins on the land.

Emergency loans through FSA could also be available.  Whitaker pointed out that “while, no declarations have been made for the accepted counties, emergency loans, assist farmers who have suffered a physical or production loss after an area is declared by the President as a disaster area or designated by the Secretary of Agriculture as a disaster.”

Loan purposes include operation and real estate, restoring/replacing essential property, production costs for a disaster year, essential family living expenses, reorganization, and refinancing certain debts.

Eligible livestock producers can apply for benefits through the Livestock Indemnity Program. This program provides assistance to producers for livestock deaths that result from a natural disaster.  LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather.   Eligible losses must have occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011. "This program provides livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of natural disasters," said Whitaker.    “A notice of loss must be filed with FSA within 30 days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. Livestock that die within 60 days of the date of the qualifying event, but prior to October 1, 2011 will be considered eligible for loss benefits.”

For more information on disaster programs offered by FSA, please contact your local county FSA office or visit FSA online at

http://www.fsa.usda.gov