INDIANAPOLIS – Julia A. Wickard, State Executive Director of USDA's Farm Service Agency in Indiana reminds livestock and poultry producers throughout Indiana that FSA programs may be available to assist them. 

Many are dealing with inclement weather, which is causing serious harm to livestock due to extreme heat conditions over the last few weeks. 

 “The hot, humid conditions that are widespread across Indiana may be beneficial for the development of crops; however, those conditions may have been adverse to Hoosier livestock and poultry producers,” said Wickard. “We need producers to document the number and kind of livestock that have died as a direct result of these recent heat conditions and timely notify their local FSA office of these losses.”

To be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program, the livestock must be owned or grown under contract by the producer and raised for commercial use as part of the farming operation.

Pets or recreational animals do not qualify.  Payment for losses is determined by USDA calculations, but is approximately 75 percent of the average fair market value of the animal.

FSA administers several programs that help producers recover from livestock deaths that are beyond normal mortality rates, losses of purchased and/or harvested forage, and with the additional costs of providing or transporting feed.

Among the key programs are LIP and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program.

 To be eligible for assistance for livestock death loss or feed losses, producers must file a notice of loss and an application for payment with their local FSA office within 30 calendar days from when the loss is apparent to the producer. 

Fact sheets for these two programs can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov click on Newsroom, then Fact Sheets.

Wickard also encourages producers to use Hay Net on the FSA website (www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet)an online service that allows producers with hay and those who need hay to post ads so they can make connections.

Hay Net is a popular site for farmers who have an emergency need, such as the one caused by the recent spring storms. 

Individual ads can be posted free of charge by producers who complete a simple online registration form the first time they use the site.

“We encourage all who have suffered losses due to adverse weather to read the fact sheets and visit with their local FSA county office staff so they can get a quick start in the recovery process,” added Wickard.