Ranchers who have suffered through this year’s historic drought can apply for federal disaster relief.
But there’s a catch: Government aid will only go to livestock producers who previously bought insurance.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Monday that money would be made available for drought-suffering farmers and ranchers through the federal Livestock Forage Disaster Program created by the 2008 Farm Bill. Applications are being accepted this week at federal Farm Service Agency offices throughout the state.
But it’s only for eligible producers and Texas FSA Executive Director Juan Garcia said the drought doesn’t automatically make one eligible.
Disaster funding for this year is only available for ranchers who purchased a $100 insurance policy on their pastureland through the FSA or a risk management agency before Dec. 1, 2008, Garcia said.
“There’s a lot of people who think they could get some of that money that could be very disappointed,” said Wesley Davis, a New Braunfels resident who runs cattle on a farm in Gonzales County. “If they haven’t bought into it, they’re not going to get a penny.”
The FSA does not yet know what to do for those residents that failed to buy insurance before disaster struck.
Garcia said they could apply with FSA for an “equitable relief provision,” to try and recover some losses, although he said the FSA has not yet made a decision on how to process those applications, or what funding might be made available.
“We may not be able to help everyone, but we might be able to help some people,” Garcia said.
For those that did buy insurance, he said the payout for those that suffered losses from prolonged “exceptional” drought in 2008 would receive $18 per head of cattle. That amount would likely go up to around $23 or $24 per head this year.
“I think this will be very beneficial to our producers,” Garcia said. “With the kind of conditions we’ve had lately, it’s been rough on them, so we’re hoping this can help them recover in some way.”
He also said Thursday the agency was working to solve some communication issues.
The USDA released guidelines for federal disaster aid under the 2008 Farm Bill on Sept. 11. But on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Lockhart FSA office, which serves Comal County, could not provide the Herald-Zeitung with any information on how ranchers might apply for federal disaster assistance. The state FSA office did not return repeated calls either Tuesday or Wednesday.
Garcia said state and federal governments were working to iron out those problems and teach FSA employees the proper guidelines for processing relief applications.
“We’re still trying to clean up some of the kinks,” Garcia said. He said the FSA held a nationwide Web seminar this week to educate FSA workers on the federal disaster aid programs, and that offices are being provided an informational handbook to help them better work with those affected.
“We’ll be able to provide a lot more instruction to our offices,” he said.
