Sign up for Dairy Disaster Assistance

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Eligible dairy producers can sign up now for the Dairy Disaster Assistance Program (DDAP-III), said Linda Paul, director of the Pierce County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office.

“DDAP-III will compensate producers for production losses that resulted from cattle and yield losses, and produced milk that had to be dumped because of lack of electricity, closed milk plants, damaged containment equipment and other related issues,” said Paul.

Sign-up will conclude Monday, May 5, said Paul. Producers are encouraged to call the office to make an appointment.

A producer’s operation must be in a county designated a major disaster or emergency area by the President or declared a natural disaster area by the Secretary of Agriculture between Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2007. Counties contiguous to such counties will also be eligible.

Producers in counties declared disasters by the President may be eligible, even though agricultural loss was not covered by the declaration, if there has been a FSA Administrator’s Physical Loss Notice covering such losses.

Under proposed DDAP-III regulations, the following are some of the eligibility requirements producers must meet to receive benefits: producers must have produced and marketed milk any time between Jan. 1, 2005, and Dec. 31, 2007; and producers must have suffered dairy production losses attributed to the declared natural disaster during the eligible period in an approved area.

Losses will be calculated by comparing the expected base annual production (from 2003 and 2004) and the actual production during the applicable disaster claim year. Calculations may be adjusted when losses are not caused by disaster.

Producers will need to provide their annual marketed production and average number of cows in the dairy herd for 2003 and 2004 to determine the base production. To calculate the loss, the dairy must provide the dairy’s actual production and average number of cows in the dairy herd for the applicable disaster year(s).

To find out more information about the DDAP-III, visit www.fsa.usda.gov or to apply for the program, contact the Pierce County FSA Service Center.

Tags: news, dairy, disasterassistance