USDA to Help South Dakota Cattle Ranchers Recover from Deadly Blizzard

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will provide assistance to South Dakota cattle producers to clean up following an unseasonal snow blizzard which killed thousands of livestock. Assistance will include help to dispose livestock carcasses, mend destroyed fencing and rebuild shelters that were damaged.

An estimated 15,000 to 30,000 cattle died in the snow storm. The agency has agreed to work with South Dakota officials to share the cost of providing assistance services. Some of the cost would include deploying state officials who can work with producers to conduct impact assessments and properly dispose of livestock carcasses.

Cattle producers have until Nov. 15 to sign up for assistance, which is being administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Services Environmental Quality Incentives Program. In addition to requesting assistance, ranchers are also asked to submit forms documenting their losses. Agricultural advocates hope that declared livestock losses will push lawmakers to pass a Farm Bill quickly, which would allow for the livestock disaster assistance programs to kick in.