USDA Offers Disaster Assistance to Agricultural Producers in North Dakota Impacted by Recent Severe Weather

Agricultural operations in North Dakota have been significantly impacted by recent severe weather including tornadoes, derecho winds, hail, lightning, and flooding.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events.  Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.  

USDA Disaster Assistance 

Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality or sell injured livestock at a reduced price may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses or evidence of reduced sales resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss and program payment application to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) no later than March 2, 2026, for 2025 calendar year losses. Livestock producers who experience losses related to tornadoes should check with their local FSA office for LIP eligibility criteria.   

Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for feed and grazing losses. For ELAP, producers are required to complete a notice of loss and submit a payment application to their local FSA office no later than the annual program application deadline, March 2, 2026, for 2025 calendar year losses.    

Additionally, eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for cost-share assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes or vines.  TAP complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program application must be filed within 90 days of the disaster event or the date when the loss of the trees, bushes or vines is apparent.  

“Impacted producers should timely report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses to their local FSA county office as soon as possible,” said Brad Thykeson, State Executive Director for FSA in North Dakota. “As you evaluate your operation, take time to gather important documents you will need to get assistance, including farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.”  

FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing.  Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses.  Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses or refinance farm-related debts and other needs.