Talking Points

  • When natural disasters strike, USDA is here to help. USDA offers technical and financial assistance to help producers recover from droughts, hurricanes, wildfires, winter storms and more.  
  • USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers FSA Disaster Programs to help producers recover from eligible losses from natural disasters including hurricanes. These programs include: 
  • The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock owners and contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions including eligible adverse weather. 
  • The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) provides funding to restore privately owned forests damaged by natural disasters. Assistance helps landowners carry out emergency measures to restore forest health on land damaged by drought, floods, and other natural disaster events. 
  • The Tree Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial cost-share assistance to qualifying orchardists and nursery tree growers to replant or, where applicable, rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes, and vines lost by natural disasters. This assistance program complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program or federal crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. 
  • The Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought. 
  • The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops to protect against natural disasters that result in lower yields, crop losses, or prevents crop planting.  Producers must have obtained NAP coverage for the crop year in which the loss occurs. 
  • USDA Farm Loans provide a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and direct emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses, or refinance farm-related debts and other needs.  
  • Additionally, FSA has a variety of loan servicing options available for borrowers who are unable to make scheduled payments on their farm loan debt to FSA because of reasons beyond their control. 
  • We encourage you to document damages and losses your operation has sustained as best you can, including gathering farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.  
  • Livestock producers are advised to document livestock numbers by taking time and date-stamped video or pictures of injury or loss, to the extent possible.  
  • Please know that we recognize these are extremely extenuating and stressful circumstances and there may be instances where documentation is lost, destroyed or unattainable. Regardless, please contact us and we will do whatever we can to help you access the assistance you need.  
  • USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) provides financial assistance to repair and prevent excessive soil erosion. Assistance may also be available for emergency animal mortality disposal from natural disasters and other causes. 
  • USDA Resources for Communities impacted: 
  • The Federal Crop Insurance Program, a public-private partnership between RMA and private companies and agents, provides producers with risk management tools. 
  • RMA reminds producers with federal crop insurance to timely report losses to their Insurance Agent. RMA has authorized Approved Insurance Providers to provide flexibility on reporting requirements for those who are unable to report losses due the disaster. 
  • USDA has resources available through the FSA call center at 877-508-8364, the USDA hotline at 833-ONE-USDA (663-8732), or producers can access program information online at farmers.gov.