South Dakota USDA Newsletter - February 20, 2025
In This Issue:
March 3, 2025 - Deadline to submit Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) notice of loss and payment application for 2024 program year
March 3, 2025 - Deadline to submit ELAP notice of loss and payment application for 2024 eligible losses
March 3, 2025 - Deadline to submit application for Livestock Forage Program (LFP)
March 15, 2025 - Deadline to apply for 2025 Non-insured Disaster Assistance (NAP) Coverage
March 25-26, 2025 - FSA State Committee Meeting (information below)
March 31, 2025 - Deadline to enroll in Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for the 2025 coverage year
April 15, 2025 - Deadline to enroll in 2025 Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC)
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated three livestock disaster assistance programs to synchronize deadlines and streamline program delivery. The changes take effect for the 2024 program applications for the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP), Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) and Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP).
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is now accepting applications for ELAP, LFP and LIP until March 1 following the end of the calendar year in which the disaster circumstances occurred. For 2024 program applications, which are being accepted at FSA offices across the nation right now, the deadline to apply for this assistance is March 3, 2025, because March 1 falls on a Saturday.
ELAP Policy Clarification
FSA is clarifying the feed transportation provisions of the program. In 2022, ELAP policy was revised to recognize the impact of adverse weather, including drought, on producer expenses associated with the need to transport feed to livestock, or livestock to new forage resources. To be eligible for assistance, producers must have a loss resulting from the cost to transport livestock feed to eligible livestock for mileage above normal or transport livestock to feed resources outside the adversely impacted area. The policy clarifies what is considered an eligible feed expense under the feed transportation provisions and what is considered eligible documentation for claiming feed transportation expenses. This clarification also provides a program standard for calculating feed transportation costs based on the expected feed needs of eligible animals.
Programs Overview
ELAP provides financial assistance to producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish to assist with the impacts of adverse weather and disease that are not covered by other FSA programs. ELAP also helps dairy producers who incur milk production losses due to H5N1 infections in their dairy herds. LFP provides financial assistance to livestock producers who suffer eligible grazing losses on land impacted by qualifying droughts or are restricted from grazing federally managed lands due to wildfire. LIP provides financial assistance to producers who face livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather or attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government.
More Information
The updates to ELAP, LFP and LIP are detailed in this Jan. 17, 2025, notice in the Federal Register.
Producers who have questions about these program policy changes, including producers who previously submitted ELAP, LFP or LIP applications for 2024, should contact the FSA at their local USDA Service Center for additional information prior to the March 3, 2025, application deadline.
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USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting applications for Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) for the 2025 coverage year from Jan. 29 to March 31. DMC is a voluntary risk management program that offers protection to dairy producers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed price (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including DMC.
DMC offers different levels of coverage, even an option that is free to producers, minus a $100 administrative fee. The administrative fee is waived for dairy producers who are considered limited resource, beginning, socially disadvantaged or a military veteran.
DMC payments are calculated using updated feed and premium hay costs, making the program more reflective of actual dairy producer expenses. These updated feed calculations use 100% premium alfalfa hay. For more information on DMC, visit the DMC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
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USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting enrollments and elections for the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) for 2025 from Jan. 21 to April 15. ARC and PLC provide financial protections to farmers from substantial drops in crop prices or revenues and are vital economic safety nets for most American farms. The American Relief Act, 2025 extended many Farm Bill-authorized programs for another year, including ARC and PLC.
Producers can elect coverage and enroll in ARC-County (ARC-CO) or PLC, which provide crop-by-crop protection, or ARC-Individual (ARC-IC), which protects the entire farm. Although election changes for 2025 are optional, producers must enroll through a signed contract each year. Also, if a producer has a multi-year contract on the farm it will continue for 2025 unless an election change is made.
If producers do not submit their election revision by the April 15 deadline, their election remains the same as their 2024 election for commodities on the farm from the prior year. Farm owners cannot enroll in either program unless they have a share interest in the cropland.
Covered commodities include barley, canola, large and small chickpeas, corn, crambe, flaxseed, grain sorghum, lentils, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, dry peas, rapeseed, long grain rice, medium grain rice, safflower seed, seed cotton, sesame, soybeans, sunflower seed and wheat.
USDA also reminds producers that ARC and PLC elections and enrollments can impact eligibility for some crop insurance products including Supplemental Coverage Option, Enhanced Coverage Option and, for cotton producers, the Stacked Income Protection Plan (commonly referred to as STAX).
For more information on ARC and PLC, producers can visit the ARC and PLC webpage or contact your local USDA Service Center.
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FSA offers direct farm ownership and direct farm operating loans to producers who want to establish, maintain, or strengthen their farm or ranch. Direct loans are processed, approved and serviced by FSA loan officers.
Direct farm operating loans can be used to purchase livestock and feed, farm equipment, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance, and other costs including family living expenses. Operating loans can also be used to finance minor improvements or repairs to buildings and to refinance some farm-related debts, excluding real estate.
Direct farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, enlarge an existing farm, construct and repair buildings, and to make farm improvements.
The maximum loan amount for direct farm ownership loans is $600,000 and the maximum loan amount for direct operating loans is $400,000 and a down payment is not required. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
Please contact your local FSA office for more information or to apply for a direct farm ownership or operating loan.
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FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural credit to farmers who do not meet the lender's normal underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a guaranteed loan through a lender, and the lender arranges for the guarantee. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used for both farm ownership and operating purposes.
Guaranteed farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, construct or repair buildings, develop farmland to promote soil and water conservation or to refinance debt.
Guaranteed operating loans can be used to purchase livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and other operating expenses.
FSA can guarantee farm ownership and operating loans up to $2,251,000. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer's ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years.
For more information on guaranteed loans, contact your local USDA Service Center or visit fsa.usda.gov.
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South Dakota FSA State Committee Meeting: March 25-26, 2025, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CT at Federal Building, 200 4th Street SW, Huron, SD 57350.
- Questions? Contact Jean Wharton at jean.wharton@usda.gov.
- If you need to request an accommodation, please contact Jean Wharton at (605) 352-1160 or jean.wharton@usda.gov by March 18, 2025, to request accommodations (e.g., an interpreter, translator, seating arrangements, etc.) or materials in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape – captioning, etc.).
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USDA in South Dakota
200 4th Street SW
Huron, SD 57350
FSA Phone: (605) 352-1160
NRCS Phone: (605) 352-1200
RMA Phone: (406) 651-8450
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Get Started at Your USDA Service Center
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Farm Service Agency
Acting State Executive Director:
Ryan Vanden Berge
Administrative Officer:
Theresa Hoadley
Program Managers:
Owen Fagerhaug - Conservation
Logan Kopfmann - Disaster Relief
Donita Garry - Program Delivery
Bridget Weber - Farm Loan Program,
Acting
State Outreach Coordinator:
Gail Gullickson
State Committee:
Troy Knecht, Chair
Peggy Greenway
Larry Olsen
Hank Wonnenberg
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Natural Resources Conservation
Service
State Conservationist:
Tony Sunseri
Assistant State Conservationists:
Jessica Michalski - Ecological Sciences
James Reedy - Engineering
Nathan Jones - Soils
Val Dupraz - Programs
Colette Kessler - Partnerships
Deke Hobbick - Compliance
Denise Gauer - Management & Strategy
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South Dakota Farm Service Agency
South Dakota Natural Resources Conservation Service
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