Courtesy of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry
Posted at 12:54 PM, Feb 18, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-18 14:17:24-05
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain is urging all agricultural producers impacted by the severe winter weather to document losses.
âWhile no secretarial disaster designation has been declared at this time, an accurate account of any crops and livestock that are lost is vital in the event insurance claims are necessary or federal assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is made available,â said Strain.
Documentation includes: photos and videos of losses, purchase records, production records, vaccination records, bank or other loan documents and third-party certification.
USDA ready to assist farmers, ranchers and communities affected by winter storms thefencepost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thefencepost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
FSA disaster programs requirements for notice of loss listed
From USDA Farm Service Agency It’s important for agricultural producers to report losses immediately because all disaster programs are dependent on the timely reporting of the loss. A notice of loss can be filed with USDA Farm Service Agency via phone, email, fax or office visit. • ELAP Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program: Starting in 2020, producers will have 15 days from when the loss is first apparent, instead of 30 days, to file a honeybee notice of loss. This change provides consistency between ELAP and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assis.
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In a video with the Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Kyle Glazier, a farmer and rancher in Kingfisher County, uses an ax to break up ice in a tub that is several inches thick. He said he doesn’t remember weather like this.
“I tried to prepare as best I could. I tried to get all the hay arranged where I could get to it even if the roads get bad,” Glazier said.
The temperatures are historic. Oklahoma City saw temperatures dip as low as -15 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Norman. That makes work difficult for ranchers like Nocona Cook, who raises cattle and grows wheat outside of Cordell in southwest Oklahoma. He says he has to haul water to his wheat, but with the low temperatures, it can freeze by the time he gets there.