USDA to Help South Dakota Cattle Ranchers Recover from Deadly Blizzard

Oct 23, 2013

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.

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.