MANHATTAN Recent extreme weather conditions have impacted farmers and ranchers in Kansas. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has disaster assistance programs available to help agricultural producers recover after natural disasters, including floods and tornadoes.
USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) offer programs that help producers recover losses, rehabilitating farms and ranches, and managing risk.
Recovering Losses
FSA offers many programs to help producers recover from losses, including the Livestock Indemnity Program, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program, Emergency Forest Restoration Program and the Tree Assistance Program.
Producers located in counties receiving a primary or contiguous disaster designation are eligible for low-interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses.
Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone who has suffered loss from the flood devastation, David Schem, state executive director for the FSA in Kansas, said in a press release.
Rehabilitating Farms and Ranches
NRCS provides technical and financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and other conservation programs to help producers recover and build resilience to better weather future disasters.
NRCS can be a very valuable partner to help landowners with their recovery effort, said Karen Woodrich, State Conservationist for the NRCS in Kansas. Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop approaches that focus on effective recovery of the land.
Woodrich encourages producers to consult with their local NRCS planner to evaluate options for conservation practices reestablishment or plan development as waters recede. Both vegetative and structural practices may be of value during recovery efforts and into the future.
Meanwhile, the FSA Emergency Conservation Program provides funding and technical assistance for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters.
Managing Risk
Producers with coverage through federal crop insurance should contact their agent for issues regarding filing claims. Those who purchased crop insurance will be paid for covered losses.
