USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers in West Virginia Impacted by Drought
Morgantown, W.V., August 20, 2024 - Agricultural operations in West Virginia have actually been substantially impacted by current dry spell. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and monetary support offered to assist farmers and livestock manufacturers recuperate from these negative weather condition events. Impacted producers ought to contact their regional USDA Service Center to report losses and discover more about program options readily available to help in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.
Livestock manufacturers who suffered grazing losses for covered animals due to drought on independently owned or money leased land might be eligible for the 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). To take part in LFP manufacturers need to own, cash or share lease, or agreement grow eligible animals, provide pasture or grazing land to eligible animals on the start date of the qualifying drought, accredit that they suffered a grazing loss due to drought, and submit an acreage report to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for all grazing land for which a grazing loss is being declared. FSA maintains a list of counties qualified for LFP and makes updates each Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) supplies eligible producers with compensation for above typical expenses of hauling water and feed to livestock as well as transferring animals to forage or other grazing acres. For ELAP, manufacturers are required to complete a notification of loss and a payment application to their regional FSA workplace no behind the annual program application due date, Jan. 30, 2025, for 2024 fiscal year losses.
"Once you have the ability to assess the dry spell effect on your operation, make certain to call your local FSA county workplace to timely report all crop and livestock damages and losses," said John Perdue, State Executive Director for FSA in West Virginia. "To expedite FSA catastrophe help, you will likely require to supply documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and images of damages or losses."
Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA's NAP need to report crop damage to their crop insurance coverage representative or FSA workplace. If they have crop insurance, manufacturers should offer a notice of loss to their agent within 72 hours of preliminary discovery of damage and follow up in composing within 15 days.
For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming obvious, other than for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.
"Crop insurance coverage and other USDA risk management options are offered to assist producers manage risk due to the fact that we never know what nature has in store for the future," stated Alexander Sereno, Director of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Regional Office that covers West Virgina. "Times of catastrophe can be an attempting time for manufacturers, and they need to remain in close contact with their crop insurance representative. Producers can be assured that the Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and representatives are skilled and trained in managing these types of events."
FSA's Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical help to carry out emergency water conservation measures, bring back fencing, get rid of particles, replace harmed irrigation system, land leveling and more.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist farmers make their operation more resilient in the face of drought in future years. Through preservation planning and practices that will enhance soil health and water preservation, farmers can reduce future crop loss due to drought and enhance resiliency to altering weather conditions. Financial aid for carrying out preservation practices might be readily available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.
Long-term damage from dry spell can consist of forage production loss in pastures and fields and decreased crop yields on fields not protected with soil health practices. Producers can visit their local USDA Service Center to get more information about these effects, possible healing strategies and how to take steps to make their land more durable to drought in the future.
"The Natural Resources Conservation Service can be a very valuable partner to help landowners with their recovery and resiliency efforts," stated Jon Bourdon, NRCS State Conservationist in West Virginia. "Our personnel will work individually with landowners to make assessments of the damages and establish techniques that concentrate on effective recovery of the land."
Additional USDA catastrophe support info can be found on farmers.gov, consisting of USDA resources specifically for producers affected by drought. Those resources include the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance truth sheet. Additionally, FarmRaise offers an FSA academic center with LIP and ELAP decision tools as well as farm loan resource videos. For FSA and NRCS programs, producers need to contact their regional USDA Service Center. For help with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners should contact their crop insurance coverage agent.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in numerous positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is changing America's food system with a greater concentrate on more durable regional and local food production, fairer markets for all producers, making sure access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building brand-new markets and streams of earnings for farmers and producers utilizing environment wise food and forestry practices, making historic financial investments in infrastructure and tidy energy capabilities in rural America, and dedicating to equity throughout the Department by eliminating systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To get more information, check out usda.gov.
