Farms.com Home   News

Applications open for livestock drought relief

Livestock producers who altered their usual grazing practices due to drought conditions for more than 21 days this season can apply for financial support to cover losses incurred to manage and maintain female breeding animals such as cattle, bison, horses, elk, sheep, goats, alpacas, yak, musk ox, deer, water buffalo and llamas. A minimum of 15 animals per type of livestock are required to qualify.

Benefits will be based on a feed-need calculation for feed costs incurred from lost grazing days for eligible breeding animals on hand as of December 31, 2023. Eligible producers could access up to $150 per head to help maintain the breeding herd in drought regions.

Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC) administers the initiative and livestock producers can get more information and apply online on AFSC’s website. The application deadline is January 15, 2024 and extraordinary costs can be incurred until March 31, 2024.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Trailer Biosecurity at Harvest Plants - Dr. Lucas Ferreira

Video: Trailer Biosecurity at Harvest Plants - Dr. Lucas Ferreira


In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Lucas Ferreira, a Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota, discusses trailer contamination risks at packing plants. He shares research on pathogen prevalence, seasonal trends, driver biosecurity practices, and factors contributing to contamination during transport. He highlights opportunities to strengthen biosecurity and reduce disease transmission across swine operations. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Trailer washing gaps allow harvest plant contamination to increase pathogen risk before equipment returns to farms or wash facilities."

Meet the guest: Dr. Lucas Ferreira https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-fer... is a veterinarian from Brazil currently pursuing a master's degree at the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on swine pathogen epidemiology, detection, control, and prevalence, with an emphasis on science-driven solutions that improve herd health and biosecurity. Learn more from Dr. Lucas Ferreira on The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.