USDA emergency aid awarded to Kansas producers

Bales should be removed from the field to avoid damage to existing forage and the hay itself. (U of A System Division of Agriculture courtesy photo by Dirk Philipp)

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-KS, has announced the issuance of Emergency Livestock Assistance Program payments by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Russell, Osborne, and Ellis County producers for stockpiled winter forage that was destroyed during the December 2021 Paradise fire.

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall (Courtesy photo.)

“The Paradise fire destroyed property, livestock, and feed,” Marshall said. “Our team made it a top priority to see that our farmers and livestock owners are properly compensated for losses outside their control. We are proud of our work to secure this relief funding for these counties so the impacted landowners can move forward and rebuild.”

In March of this year, Marshall announced a change to the ELAP program to cover stored winter forage lost in a natural disaster. Previously ELAP only covered the normal summer grazing season in Kansas. As a result of the changes secured by the senator, USDA issued nearly $300,000 in payments for 49 landowners in Russell, Osborne, and Ellis counties who lost forage that was stockpiled to use for winter feed.