Wildfire and drought impacted Nebraskans offered disaster assistance

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced both technical and financial assistance is available to help Nebraska farmers and livestock producers recover from recent fires and drought.

“When you are at a time and place where you can safely assess the wildfire impact or ongoing drought on your operation, be sure to contact your local FSA office to timely report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses,” said John Berge, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Nebraska. “To accelerate the FSA disaster assistance process, please be prepared to provide important documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.”

Farmers who have lost more livestock than normal this year because of wildfires may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).

LIP payments are equal to 75 percent of the livestock’s average market value.

The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) compensates eligible producers for losses due to disease, certain weather events or loss conditions, including blizzards and wildfires.

Areas impacted by drought may also receive ELAP funding to cover the cost of transporting feed and water to livestock or moving livestock to other areas.

Livestock producers in eligible counties may be able to receive assistance from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) for 2022 grazing losses caused by drought.

Additionally, the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers cost-share assistance for replanting and rehabilitation of trees, bushes and vines damaged by natural disasters.

TAP complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP), which covers crops but not plants or trees. 

FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans and emergency loans.

Producers impacted by these events should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options.

Additional USDA disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including USDA resources specifically for producer impacted by drought and wildfire and the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool,