WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator John Hoeven this week pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to:
“Our livestock producers have been hit yet again with severe weather, which has impacted calving season. The 2022 LIP national payment rates do not appear to adequately cover the fair market rate for calves under 250 pounds, and we are pressing USDA to address this discrepancy as well as cover losses due to diseases so that livestock producers receive the support they need,” said Hoeven. “At the same time, input costs are rapidly increasing and many producers are still recovering from last year’s historic drought, so it is imperative that USDA get disaster payments out to producers as soon as possible.”
Securing Livestock & Row Crop Disaster Aid
Last September, Hoeven worked as the lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee to provide $10 billion in agriculture disaster assistance, which includes $750 million for livestock producers and $9.25 billion to aid row crop producers who suffered losses due to droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other qualifying disasters in calendar years 2020 and 2021.
USDA began sending phase-one ELRP assistance to ranchers last month, with payments set at 75% of producers’ 2021 Livestock Forage Program (LFP) payment. Phase two will begin later this year. USDA will provide row crop assistance using existing crop insurance data in a two-phase approach as well, beginning this spring.
Producers should contact their FSA county office or visit farmers.gov for more information.