Letter to Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture - Regarding Clarification of Eligibility for Livestock Disaster Program

Letter

May 20, 2014

The Honorable Tom Vilsack
Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20250

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

The Agricultural Act of 2014 made the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) retroactive to
October 1, 2011. I am pleased that USDA has made the implementation of this program a top priority. Certainly, producers who are still suffering from financial losses that occurred over two years ago need assistance.

Recently, concerned farmers have reached out to my office frustrated with the acreage determinations for haying and grazing that are required for the LFP program. Additionally, there have been conflicting reports of county eligibility based on disaster designations from 2012. In an effort to clear up the confusion with this program, please provide answers to the following questions:

1) What counties in Iowa are eligible for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program for 2012 and 2013?

2) What documentation is required from producers for losses that were incurred in 2012 and 2013?

3) Are acres that are certified as haying and grazing ineligible for all payments, even partial payments?

Please number your responses in accordance with the question number you are answering. Should you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Andrew Brandt on my staff.

Sincerely,

Chuck Grassley

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