Potential Disaster Aid Hinges on Records
US - Potential disaster aid from USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) will hinge on the records you keep now. FSA recently announced that good records will be essential if any disaster aid packages are released for livestock producers that faced loses of livestock or had to purchase feed due to natural disaster, including drought and heat.
6 September 2012
2 minute read
Craig Schaunaman, State Executive Director of the South Dakota Farm Service Agency, encourages producers to contact their local county office, or the state office if they have questions. “If you have questions, contact us. We are here to help” he states. The list of items FSA is recommending owners and producers keep include:
- Documentation of the number and kind of livestock that have died;
- Dates of death supported by birth records or purchase receipts;
- Costs of transporting livestock to new pastures or safer grounds;
- Feed purchases made due to supplies or pastures being destroyed.
A key point to keep in mind is that while the 2008 Farm Bill expired on September 30, 2011 with no extension to the five disaster programs included in that bill, retroactive programs have been implemented in the past, and if you do not have the needed records from that time you will not be eligible to participate.
“Record keeping is an important part of any successful livestock producers operation. During times of stress we sometimes drop the ball on this critical component. Doing so this year may prevent producers for qualifying for much needed assistance,” Heather Gessner Livestock Business Management Field Specialist says.
“Don’t make it a chore to keep these records. As you buy feed, make sure you get a receipt from your neighbor, make a notation on the check and keep them in an envelope together in a desk drawer.”
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