News Releases for December 2006
December 11, 2006
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Hoeven: Checks For USDA Livestock Assistance Grant Program On The Way
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven has announced that $1.8 million in funding allocated to the State of North Dakota for livestock feed assistance is being sent to livestock producers today. The money was provided to the state through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Livestock Assistance Grant Program (LAGP) to distribute directly to livestock producers whose forage was adversely impacted by the 2006 drought.
“We have worked with USDA to provide this assistance,” Hoeven said. “We recognize that the money does not go far enough in helping ranchers recover from the extremely tough conditions which they experienced this past summer. This drought is severe enough to warrant comprehensive federal drought legislation for our farmers and ranchers. We are continuing our effort to convince Congress to pass disaster legislation to give farmers and ranchers the assistance they need to help maintain their operations.”
Cattle, dairy, sheep, and bison producers located in one of the 27 North Dakota counties that were in the D3 (extreme) or D4 (exceptional) category on the US Drought Monitor sometime during the summer of 2006, were eligible for share of the $1,807,850.
Livestock producers submitted applications for the funds through the state web site earlier this year. The amounts of the grants were based on the number of head of livestock and on the location of the farm or ranch headquarters. Per head payments ranged up to $9.79 depending upon the severity of the drought in the operator’s county.
“All of the $1.8 million that was allocated to North Dakota is being sent directly to cattle and sheep owners,” explained Hoeven. “However, with total forage and feed loss reported on the grant applications considerably higher, it is vitally important that we get additional federal support for our agriculture producers, and we will keep working for a disaster assistance package.”
A total of 2,254 livestock producers from 25 of the 27 eligible counties are receiving a portion of the limited funds. These producers indicated a total of 337,500 beef cattle, 11,500 dairy cattle, 18,000 sheep, 2,700 horses and 1,500 bison in their applications for feed assistance.
Several organizations assisted the Governor’s Office in administering the program and publicizing the availability of LAGP funds. The North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the NDSU Extension Service, the North Dakota Stockman’s Association, the Lamb and Wool Producers, the Independent Beef Association of North Dakota, the North Dakota Farm Bureau and the North Dakota Farmers Union all provided guidance and support in delivering the money to livestock producers. Hoeven said that these organizations’ assistance was extremely helpful in providing a streamlined and fair process to disburse money to eligible cattlemen and sheep owners.
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