South Dakota state Farm Service Agency officials say it’s too early to provide an estimate on the number of livestock lost due to this weekend’s blizzard. Jamie White, Executive Officer with the South Dakota FSA State office, says producers who suffered livestock losses will want to make sure they report them so they can take advantage of USDA’s livestock indemnity program.
She says to be eligible for assistance, any loss must be reported within 30 days to the producer’s local county FSA office.
White says it’s also a good idea to take photos of the livestock that were lost and to keep accurate records as well as any rendering receipts. She says the amount of indemnity assistance available will be a help to producers but won’t cover the entire cost of their loss.
White says before the indemnity program kicks in, a producer would need to suffer a 5 percent normal mortality rate with each class of livestock.
White says producers may also be eligible for assistance through the emergency livestock assistance program for snow removal, feed assistance or fencing. Producers should contact their county FSA office for more information.
(WNAX)