The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides assistance to livestock owners and contract growers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality as a direct result of an eligible loss condition. An eligible adverse weather event is one that is not expected to occur during the loss period that directly results in injury or death of livestock in excess of normal mortality. Adverse weather events may include any of the following that occur in the calendar year for which benefits are requested: earthquake; hail; lightning; tornado; tropical storm; typhoon; vog; hurricane; flood; blizzard (a storm which contains large amounts of snow or blowing snow with winds in excess of 35 mph and visibility of less than 1/4 mile for an extended period of time); wildfire; extreme heat (three consecutive days of temperature humidity index greater than 84 or heat index of greater than 100); extreme cold (2 consecutive days of extreme conditions using wind chill calculation is applicable for non-adult livestock only); straight-line winds; and eligible winter storm (the wind, precipitation, and extremely cold temperatures must occur within a 3-day period with wind and extremely cold temperatures occurring in each of the 3 days).
Eligible livestock must have died as a direct result of an eligible loss condition within 3o calendar days from the ending date of the eligible loss condition. In addition, LIP provides assistance to eligible livestock owners who suffered losses due to injured livestock that were sold at a reduced price within 3o calendar days of the end date of the eligible loss condition.
Producers must file a notice of loss by 3o calendar days of when the loss is apparent. Information required at the time of filing the notice of loss is the producer(s) name, location of death loss, date livestock loss was apparent and the loss condition. They may file by telephone, facsimile, email or in person. If filing other than in person, the county office will enter the information received on the CCC-852, Notice of Loss and mail or email a copy of the completed document to the producer.
Producers should be documenting all death losses even those that die due to normal mortality as well as those that die due to an adverse weather event using acceptable documentation. Acceptable documentation may include rendering truck receipts or certificates, veterinary records, records assembled for tax purposes, private insurance documents, bank or other loan documents, contemporaneous producer records existing at the time of the event (ie. calving book), pictures with a date, brand inspection records, dairy herd improvement records or other similar documents. In addition, livestock contract growers of swine and poultry must provide a copy of their grower contract. If acceptable proof of death is not available the producer will have to submit a CCC-854, Third Party Certification with acceptable beginning inventory documentation. The CCC-854, Third Party Certification can be obtained by contacting the county office.
Acceptable beginning inventory records may include veterinary records, canceled check documentation, balance sheets, inventory records used for tax purposes, loan records, bank statements, farm credit balance sheets, property tax records, brand inspection records, sales and purchase receipts, private insurance documents, chattel inspections, contemporaneous producer records existing at the time of event, brand inspection records, docking records, shearing records, ear tag records, trucking and/or livestock hauling records.
For unweaned, livestock beginning inventory, the COC may accept the combination of both the following using acceptable beginning inventory of the adult livestock, adjusted based on the applicable livestock stocking rate and results from a pregnancy check or ultrasound conducted by a third party, such as, but not limited to a veterinarian.
In addition to filing a notice of loss, you must submit an application for payment with all documentation to determine the death loss and beginning inventory for all livestock, no later than 6o calendar days after the end of the calendar year. For losses that occur in 2021 the final date to file an application for payment and submit all documentation is March 1, 2022.
Contact your local Farm Service Agency for more information.