Indemnity program continues

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Press File Photo The Livestock Indemnity Program, part of the 2008 Farm Bill, compensates owners for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality that are due to adverse weather events. Producers can utilize the program until 2011.

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A program that compensates producers for the loss of their animals in the event of bad weather continues on, and producers will be able to take advantage of it through Sept. 30, 2011, local Farm Service Agency officials say.

The Livestock Indemnity Program, a part of the 2008 Farm Bill, has been in existence in some form since about 1997, said Peter Solemsaas, with Stark/Billings Farm Service Agency.

The program compensates owners for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality that are due to adverse weather events.

Swine, turkeys, ducks, beef cattle, buffalo, chickens, sheep and deer are just a few of the animals covered in the program.

Solemsaas said about 80 producers in Stark and Billings counties utilized the program last year.

Producers who have livestock losses in 2010 must file the Notice of Loss within 30 days of the loss being apparent, which can be done by telephone, in person or by e-mail or fax. Producers can apply for compensation at the county FSA office where the losses occurred.

The Notice of Loss is simply a report to FSA that the livestock producer lost livestock due to an identified adverse weather event that occurred on a specific date, according to a press release.

Proof of loss may include verifiable documentation such as veterinary records, bank or other loan documents or production records. Other reliable records such as pictures with imprinted dates and contemporaneous records such as calving books may be accepted.

“There’s no requirement that they have insurance on the livestock or anything like that,” Solemsaas. “If they do, and they have an insurance person verify those losses then they can bring that to us and we can use that as proof of the losses for our program.”

Eleven million dollars have been paid out to North Dakota livestock owners who had losses in 2008 and 2009, according to a press release. The payment rates for beef cattle are slightly lower in 2010.

Producers that filed timely notices of loss for 2010 may complete the LIP application anytime during the calendar year and no later than Jan. 30.

Clare Messmer, executive director of the Dunn County FSA office, said the county agency had about 50 producers utilizing the program last year.

“There are people interested (this year) and some people have lost livestock,” Messmer said. “At this time, I don’t have any finalized numbers, but I have had people contact us and have started the process.”

Messmer said she is unsure whether or not the LIP program will be extended.

“Those people lost livestock, especially when you go back to the winter of 2008 and 2009, they lost livestock that there would have been no other payment for that if not for the Livestock Indemnity Program or insurance,” Messmer said.

Tags: farm, cattle, swine, indemnity, agriculture