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USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers in West Virginia Impacted by Drought

Morgantown, W.V., August 20, 2024 - Agricultural operations in West Virginia have been substantially impacted by recent dry spell. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance offered to assist farmers and animals producers recuperate from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers need to call their regional USDA Service Center to report losses and discover more about program choices offered to help in their recovery from crop, land, facilities, and animals losses and damages.

Livestock manufacturers who suffered grazing losses for covered animals due to drought on privately owned or cash leased land may be eligible for the 2024 Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP). To take part in LFP producers should own, money or share lease, or contract grow eligible animals, provide pasture or grazing land to qualified animals on the beginning date of the certifying drought, accredit that they suffered a grazing loss due to dry spell, and submit an to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for all grazing land for which a grazing loss is being declared. FSA keeps a list of counties qualified for LFP and makes updates each Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides qualified producers with compensation for above normal expenses of hauling water and feed to livestock as well as carrying livestock to forage or other grazing acres. For ELAP, manufacturers are needed to complete a notification of loss and a payment application to their regional FSA workplace no later on than the yearly program application deadline, Jan. 30, 2025, for 2024 fiscal year losses.

"Once you are able to examine the dry spell effect on your operation, make sure to call your regional FSA county workplace to prompt report all crop and animals damages and losses," stated John Perdue, State Executive Director for FSA in West Virginia. "To expedite FSA catastrophe assistance, you will likely need to offer documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and photos of damages or losses."

Producers who have danger defense through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA's NAP must report crop damage to their crop insurance coverage representative or FSA office. If they have crop insurance, producers need to offer a notice of loss to their representative within 72 hours of preliminary discovery of damage and follow up in writing within 15 days.

For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming obvious, other than for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.

"Crop insurance and other USDA risk management options are provided to help manufacturers manage danger due to the fact that we never know what nature has in shop for the future," said Alexander Sereno, Director of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) Regional Office that covers West Virgina. "Times of catastrophe can be a trying time for manufacturers, and they should remain in close contact with their crop insurance agent. Producers can be assured that the Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are knowledgeable and trained in managing these types of events."

FSA's Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) can help landowners and forest stewards with monetary and technical assistance to implement emergency water conservation measures, bring back fencing, remove debris, replace harmed irrigation system, land leveling and more.

USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help farmers make their operation more resistant in the face of dry spell in future years. Through preservation planning and practices that will improve soil health and water conservation, farmers can lower future crop loss due to dry spell and improve resiliency to altering climatic conditions. Financial assistance for carrying out conservation practices may be available through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program.

Long-term damage from dry spell can include forage production loss in pastures and fields and reduced crop yields on fields not protected with soil health practices. Producers can visit their regional USDA Service Center to read more about these effects, prospective healing methods and how to take actions to make their land more resilient to dry spell in the future.

"The Natural Resources Conservation Service can be a really important partner to assist landowners with their recovery and resiliency efforts," stated Jon Bourdon, NRCS State Conservationist in West Virginia. "Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make evaluations of the damages and establish methods that focus on effective healing of the land."

Additional USDA disaster help information can be found on farmers.gov, consisting of USDA resources particularly for manufacturers affected by drought. Those resources consist of the Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance truth sheet, Loan Assistance Tool, and Natural Disasters and Crop Insurance truth sheet. Additionally, FarmRaise provides an FSA instructional center with LIP and ELAP choice tools in addition to farm loan resource videos. For FSA and NRCS programs, producers should call their local USDA Service Center. For support with a crop insurance claim, producers and landowners must call their crop insurance coverage agent.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans every day in so many positive methods. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America's food system with a higher focus on more durable regional and local food production, fairer markets for all manufacturers, making sure access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of earnings for farmers and manufacturers utilizing environment clever food and forestry practices, making historic investments in facilities and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and devoting to equity across the Department by eliminating systemic barriers and developing a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, see usda.gov.