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 significantly affected by recent dry spell. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and monetary support available to help farmers and livestock manufacturers recover from these adverse weather condition events. Impacted manufacturers must call their regional USDA Service Center to report losses and discover more about program options readily available to help in their healing from crop, land, infrastructure, and animals losses and damages.

Livestock producers who suffered grazing losses for covered livestock due to dry spell on independently owned or cash rented land might be eligible for the 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). To take part in LFP producers should own, money or share lease, or agreement grow eligible livestock, offer pasture or grazing land to eligible animals on the beginning date of the qualifying drought, license that they suffered a grazing loss due to drought, and send 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 eligible for LFP and makes updates each Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides qualified manufacturers with compensation for above typical costs of transporting water and feed to livestock along with carrying livestock to forage or other grazing acres. For ELAP, producers are needed to finish a notification of loss and a payment application to their regional FSA workplace no behind the yearly program application due date, Jan. 30, 2025, for 2024 calendar year losses.

"Once you are able to examine the drought effect on your operation, be sure to contact your local FSA county workplace to timely report all crop and livestock damages and losses," stated John Perdue, State Executive Director for FSA in West Virginia. "To expedite FSA disaster assistance, you will likely need to offer documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and images of damages or losses."

Producers who have danger defense through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA's NAP must report crop damage to their crop insurance coverage representative or FSA office. If they have crop insurance coverage, manufacturers ought to supply 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 emerging, except for hand-harvested crops, which need to be reported within 72 hours.

"Crop insurance and other USDA threat management alternatives are used to help producers handle danger because we never ever understand what nature has in store for the future," said Alexander Sereno, Director of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Regional Office that covers West Virgina. "Times of disaster can be an attempting time for manufacturers, and they should remain in close contact with their crop insurance coverage representative. Producers can be assured that the Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are knowledgeable and trained in dealing with these types of occasions."

FSA's Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) can assist landowners and forest stewards with monetary and technical help to implement emergency situation water conservation procedures, restore fencing, get rid of particles, replace damaged watering system, land leveling and more.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist farmers make their operation more resistant in the face of drought in future years. Through preservation preparation and practices that will improve soil health and water conservation, farmers can decrease future crop loss due to drought and improve resiliency to altering climatic conditions. Financial help for implementing preservation practices may be 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 secured with soil health practices. Producers can visit their local USDA Service Center to find out more about these impacts, possible healing methods and how to take steps to make their land more resilient to dry spell in the future.

"The Natural Resources Conservation Service can be a really important 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 healing of the land."

Additional USDA disaster help info can be found on farmers.gov, consisting of USDA resources specifically for manufacturers affected by dry spell. Those resources consist of the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance reality sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance fact sheet. Additionally, FarmRaise uses an FSA instructional center with LIP and ELAP decision tools along with farm loan resource videos. For FSA and NRCS programs, manufacturers need to call their local USDA Service Center. For help with a crop insurance claim, manufacturers and landowners should call their crop insurance agent.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is changing America's food system with a greater concentrate on more durable local and regional food production, fairer markets for all manufacturers, guaranteeing access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all neighborhoods, building brand-new markets and streams of income for farmers and manufacturers using environment smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in facilities and clean energy abilities in rural America, and committing to equity throughout the Department by eliminating systemic barriers and building a labor force more representative of America. To find out more, go to usda.gov.