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

For Immediate Release: November 9, 2006

Department of Agriculture Reminds Livestock Owners of Drought Assistance

Livestock Assistance Grant Program Applications Deadline is Nov. 17

(JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.) – The 2006 Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture is scheduled for Dec. 10-11, 2006 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, Mo. Themed, “The Future of Agriculture Begins Today,” this conference will bring the agricultural community together to address industry trends and future choices for the Missouri agricultural industry.

“To date, we have received over 5000 applications from producers seeking assistance for over 390,000 head of livestock and expect to receive more in the coming days,” said Fred Ferrell, director of MDA. “We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing funding to 30 of our counties that suffered the most forage loss.”

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.

Applications for the grant program are 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.

All applications must be mailed to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 630, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102. No applications will be accepted via fax or email. No late applications will be accepted.

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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