The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that ranchers and livestock owners in impacted Texas counties may be eligible for assistance through the 2018 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP).

Many Texas counties recently met qualifying drought ratings and may be eligible for LFP compensation for grazing losses for covered livestock on land that is in native or improved pastureland with permanent vegetative cover or certain crops planted specifically for grazing.

Qualifying drought ratings for this USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) program are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats, llamas, reindeer, or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible acres during the normal grazing period.

Long Season Small Grains (67 Counties):

Archer
Armstrong
Bailey
Baylor
Bell
Bosque
Bowie
Briscoe
Carson
Cass
Castro
Childress
Cochran
Collingsworth
Coryell
Cottle
Crosby
Dallam
Deaf Smith
Dickens
Donley
Falls
Floyd
Foard
Garza
Gray
Hale
Hall
Hansford
Hardeman
Harrison
Hartley
Haskell
Hemphill
Hockley
Hutchinson
Kent
King
Knox
Lamar
Lamb
Lipscomb
Lubbock
Lynn
McLennan
Marion
Moore
Morris
Motley
Ochiltree
Oldham
Parmer
Potter
Randall
Red River
Roberts
Sherman
Stonewall
Swisher
Terry
Throckmorton
Titus
Wheeler
Wichita
Wilbarger
Williamson
Yoakum

 

Short Season Small Grains (60 Counties):

Archer
Armstrong
Bailey
Baylor
Bowie
Briscoe
Carson
Cass
Castro
Childress
Cochran
Collingsworth
Cottle
Crosby
Dallam
Deaf Smith
Dickens
Donley
Floyd
Foard
Garza
Gray
Hale
Hall
Hansford
Hardeman
Harrison
Hartley
Haskell
Hemphill
Hockley
Hutchinson
Kent
King
Knox
Lamar
Lamb
Lipscomb
Lubbock
Lynn
Marion
Moore
Morris
Motley
Ochiltree
Oldham
Parmer
Potter
Randall
Red River
Roberts
Sherman
Stonewall
Swisher
Terry
Titus
Wheeler
Wichita
Wilbarger
Yoakum

 

Full Season Improved, Native Pasture (59 Counties):

Archer
Armstrong
Bailey
Baylor
Bell
Bosque
Briscoe
Carson
Castro
Childress
Cochran
Collingsworth
Cottle
Crosby
Dallam
Deaf Smith
Dickens
Donley
Falls
Floyd
Foard
Garza
Gray
Hale
Hall
Hansford
Hardeman
Hartley
Haskell
Hemphill
Hockley
Hutchinson
Kent
King
Knox
Lamb
Lipscomb
Lubbock
Lynn
McLennan
Moore
Motley
Ochiltree
Oldham
Parmer
Potter
Randall
Roberts
Sherman
Stonewall
Swisher
Terry
Throckmorton
Wheeler
Wichita
Wilbarger
Williamson
Yoakum

 

Annual Ryegrass (30 Counties):

Baylor
Briscoe
Childress
Cochran
Collingsworth
Cottle
Crosby
Dickens
Donley
Floyd
Foard
Garza
Gray
Hale
Hall
Hardeman
Haskell
Hockley
Kent
King
Knox
Lubbock
Lynn
Motley
Stonewall
Terry
Wheeler
Wichita
Wilbarger
Yoakum

Applications are required for 2018 losses. To expedite applications, producers who experienced losses in 2018 are encouraged to collect records documenting their losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases, federal grazing permits, contract grower agreements, and more.

“We encourage producers to contact their county office and make an appointment to learn more about applying for LFP and related program requirements,” Gary Six, FSA state executive director in Texas, said.

FSA disaster assistance program information can also be found online at disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

To apply fo