Media contact:
Misti Preston
Phone: (573) 751-8596
Misti.Preston@mda.mo.gov

For Immediate Release: October 13, 2006

Department of Agriculture to Distribute Drought Assistance to Livestock Owners

Livestock Assistance Grant Program Applications Available Oct. 16

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The Missouri Department of Agriculture ( MDA) has announced that it will begin accepting applications for the Livestock Assistance Grant Program on Monday, Oct. 16. This grant program is designed to assist Missouri livestock producers partially recover forage production losses due to certain drought conditions in 2006.

“The drought adversely effected most of the counties in Missouri this year and we are happy that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing funding to 30 of our counties that suffered the most forage loss,” said Fred Ferrell, director of MDA. “We are doing everything we can to try to help our producers during this time of need.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in late August funding to help agricultural producers deal with the drought. The package included a $50 million state block grant program to aid livestock producers suffering from the effects of the 2006 drought. As part of this program, Missouri was allocated $2.7 million to distribute to producers.

MDA will have a month-long application period from Oct. 16-Nov. 17, 2006. Producers will not receive any direct notification of this program from MDA; however, applications will be available from the following sources:

• Online at www.mda.mo.gov, under “Drought Information”
• Missouri Farm Service Agency offices located in the qualified counties
• University of Missouri Extension offices located in the qualified counties

Eligible livestock owners must have had their livestock located within the 30 counties identified for the program. The counties are: Barry, Barton, Bates, Benton, Camden, Cass, Cedar, Christian, Cooper, Dade, Greene, Henry, Hickory, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, McDonald, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Newton, Pettis, Polk, Ray, St. Clair, Saline, Stone and Vernon. Eligible livestock include: adult beef cows, adult dairy cows, adult sheep ewes, adult goat does, adult equine mares, adult elk cows and adult bison cows.

Producers with questions regarding the application or the program are encouraged to contact MDA at (573) 526-4727 or via email at lagp@mda.mo.gov.

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