WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) encourages crop and livestock producers in Alabama to consider the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) emergency loan and disaster assistance programs to help them recover financially from the prolonged drought affecting the state. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senator continuously advocates for our hardworking farmers and producers to ensure they have access to the necessary resources they need to feed and fuel our nation.
Sixteen Alabama counties are currently experiencing extreme drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is updated weekly to show the location and intensity of droughts across the country. According to USDA, twenty-six counties are eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loan assistance and agricultural disaster assistance programs.
Congress provided permanent authorization and funding for several agricultural disaster assistance programs under USDA FSA, including the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), in the 2014 Farm Bill.
LFP offers support to producers in eligible counties who have suffered grazing losses due to a qualifying drought. A USDA fact sheet for LFP, with information on eligibility and payment calculations, is available here.
ELAP covers losses associated with additional costs of transporting water, hauling feed, or hauling livestock to alternative feeding locations. An ELAP fact sheet is available here.
Eligibility for these programs is based on the U.S. Drought Monitor for producers in counties described as having D2 (severe drought) conditions for at least eight consecutive weeks; or either D3 (extreme drought) conditions at any time during the normal grazing period.
The following Alabama counties are currently listed as experiencing D2 or D3 drought conditions, which makes them eligible for LFP and ELAP: Butler, Cherokee, Colbert, Cullman, DeKalb, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Madison, Marshall, Morgan, Blount, Calhoun, Cleburne, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Etowah, Lawrence, Limestone, Lowndes, Marion, Monroe, Walker, Wilcox, Winston.
FSA, among other things, provides services related to loans and disaster assistance programs. To find a local FSA office visit this site: https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator
As Alabama’s voice on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Senator Tuberville is committed to supporting Alabama’s farmers and producers.
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.
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