Livestock Indemnity Program Benefits Available to Jefferson County Producers

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director James L. Giffin in Jefferson County today announced that producers who suffered qualifying livestock losses due to natural disasters, including wolves and avian predators, could be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

LIP benefits are available for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to eligible adverse weather as well as eligible disease, including losses due to anthrax, blizzards, cyanobacteria, earthquakes, extreme cold, extreme heat, floods, hail, hurricanes, larkspur, lightning, straight-line winds, tornados, wildfires, and winter storms.

“LIP provides livestock producers with a vital safety net to help them overcome the damaging financial impact of livestock losses,” according to Giffin.

LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock attacks by animals reintroduced to the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators (black vultures). To meet eligibility requirements for black vulture kills, producers must have a third-party form CCC-854 completed by a third party. The third party should have knowledge of specific details of the animal’s death. Third party cannot be a family member or hired hand. A third party is REQUIRED to see the vultures attacking the livestock animal.

“A notice of loss must be filed with FSA within 30 days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. Livestock that dies within 60 days of the date of the eligible loss condition may be considered eligible for loss benefits. Producers must also file an application for payment no later than 90 days after the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred” said Giffin.

The LIP national payment rate for eligible livestock owners is based on 75 percent of the average fair market value of the livestock.

Earlier last year, Congress eliminated a payment cap for LIP of $125,000 per year. The amendment was part of the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act.

According to Giffin, producers should contact the Jefferson County FSA office at (865) 397-3151 to schedule an appointment to submit a notice of loss and application for payment.