Mark Udall, a leading advocate for Colorado's job-creating agricultural economy, urged Centennial State ranchers to quickly utilize livestock disaster assistance aid programs the U.S. Department of Agriculture brought online today. Udall successfully included the safety net for ranchers in the 2014 Farm Bill, ensuring they have the same access to disaster and drought assistance as farmers.
"I was proud to lead the bipartisan charge in the U.S. Senate to ensure the 2014 Farm Bill gave Colorado's ranchers access to the same disaster and drought assistance as other agricultural producers. Now that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has quickly brought these programs online, I strongly urge Coloradans to leverage these resources," Udall said. "Colorado has endured a devastating drought. These programs, which I have been proud to champion, will ensure our agricultural economy -- farmers and ranchers -- can continue to create jobs and feed the nation."
Ranchers can enroll in the Livestock Forage Disaster Program and the Livestock Indemnity Program by contacting their local Farm Service Agency office. The programs cover losses ranchers sustained, including livestock deaths and grazing losses, since the last expiration of the livestock disaster assistance programs in 2011.
Udall led the bipartisan effort to include permanent livestock disaster assistance in the 2014 Farm Bill. He also has pressed the president to fast-track the implementation of the livestock disaster assistance programs in the law. Udall also has led the effort to ensure FDA rules do not impede Colorado brewers' abilities to provide the state's ranchers with spent brewers' grains to use as livestock feed.