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Livestock Indemity Program Announced by FSA

LIVESTOCK INDEMNITY PROGRAM ANNOUNCED BY FSA
Sign-up for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) is now in progress at local FSA Parish Offices. LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. Diseases must have qualified sources to substantiate such. Documentation must support how the disease was accelerated or exacerbated by an eligible weather event. Eligible losses must have occurred on or after January 1, 2008, and before October 1, 2011.
To be eligible, producers must file a notice of loss and an application and must be able to provide documentation of beginning inventory, causes of loss, and evidence of loss. It should be noted that catfish and crawfish losses will be covered by the SURE Program; therefore, they are not eligible under this new Livestock Indemnity Program.
Beginning inventory records must meet the following:
Verifiable records such as veterinarian records, written contracts, loan documents, purchase records, tax records. These are examples but it is not limited to these specific records.
Reliable records if verifiable are not available. Examples are contemporaneous producer records existing at the time of the event, pictures with dates, brand inspections, dairy herd improvement records, and other similar reliable documents.
Proof of death information must be submitted to show livestock dies as a result of an eligible adverse weather occurrence.
If proof of death is not available, third party certification may be used; however, livestock owner or contract grower must certify that no other information is available. The third party must show:
specific details about how they have knowledge of the deaths;
the affiliation of the third party to the owner. (It cannot be a hired hand or family member related to the applicant or their spouse.)
number and kind/type and weight range of the livestock.
General knowledge of livestock death or adverse weather in the area is not acceptable third party certification under any circumstance.
For losses in calendar year 2008, a notice of loss and application must be filed in the FSA Parish Office by September 13, 2009. For 2009 losses prior to July 13, 2009, a notice of loss must be filed by September 13, 2009 and an application must be filed by January 30, 2010. For losses occurring on or after July 13, 2009, a notice of loss must be reported to FSA no later than 30 days of when the loss is apparent. For more information, contact your local FSA or visit www.fsa.usda.gov. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all of its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and martial or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, larger print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s Target Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.