Disaster assistance available for Nebraska farmers and ranchers affected by blizzard

U.S. Department of Agriculture Nebraska Farm Service Agency State Executive Director Nancy Johner reminds farmers and ranchers affected by the recent blizzard that disaster assistance programs are available to support their recovery efforts.

FSA can assist farmers and ranchers who lost livestock, fences or eligible trees, bushes and vines as a result of a natural disaster. FSA administers a suite of safety-net programs to help producers recover from eligible losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program and the Tree Assistance Program. Detailed information on all of these disaster assistance programs can be found online at www.fsa.usda.gov/disaster.

In addition, the Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters. Producers located in counties that receive a primary or contiguous disaster designation are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Compensation is also available to producers who purchased coverage through the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program, which protects non-insurable crops (including native grass for grazing) against natural disasters including excessive wind, that result in lower yields, crop losses or prevented planting.

“The recent blizzard may have caused losses for farmers and ranchers in our state,” said Johner. “Natural disasters such as blizzards are unavoidable, but USDA has strong safety-net programs to help producers get back on their feet.”

For more information on FSA disaster assistance programs, please contact your local USDA service center. To find your local USDA service center, go to http://offices.usda.gov.