Here’s how farmworkers can get federal storm relief
CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV)- Historic winter storms devastated agriculture fields and left ranchers and farmers without a way to make ends meet. Federal assistance is available for farmers impacted by storms.
Here is a list of available aid for farm workers compiled by Representatives Zoe Lofgren, Jimmy Panetta, and Salud Carbajal:
Financial Assitance:
| Program | What it Covers | USDA Agency |
| Crop Insurance | For producers that purchased a policy prior to planting, can cover yield, revenue, or margin losses. | RMA |
| Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) | For enrolled producers, NAP covers part of losses in excess of a minimum loss threshold. Underserved producers are automatically eligible for NAP coverage, even if they did not enroll prior. | FSA |
| Livestock Indemnity Program | LIP covers livestock deaths or injuries that result in a reduced sale price. The LIP payment rate is 75% of the average fair market value of the animal. | FSA |
| Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and FarmRaised Fish | ELAP covers losses not covered by LIP due to weather, disease, or feed or water shortages. | FSA |
| Tress Assitance Program | TAP covers part of the cost to replant or rehabilitate trees, bushes, and vines damaged by natural disasters from which an annual crop is produced. Crop insurance or NAP generally covers the crop, while TAP covers the tree, bush, or vine itself. | FSA |
| Emergency Disaster Loans | In counties with declared disasters or adjoining counties, USDA provides low-interest emergency disaster loans | FSA |
| Disaster Set-Aside Program | In counties with declared disasters or adjoining counties, USDA can defer one full year’s loan payment to the end of the loan. | FSA |
Land Rehabilitation:
| Program | What it Covers | USDA Agency |
| Emergency Conservation Program | ECP pays a percentage, typically up to 75%, of the cost to restore damaged private land to a productive state. Land eligibility and restoration practices are determined by the FSA county committee. | FSA |
| Emergency Forest Restoration Program | EWP provides community-wide support and technical assistance to restore a watershed, including repairing levees and removing debris from stream channels. Projects must be sponsored by a state or local government or tribal organization. | FSA |
| Emergency Watershed Protection | EWP provides community-wide support and technical assistance to restore a watershed, including repairing levees and removing debris from stream channels. Projects must be sponsored by a state or local government or tribal organization. | NRCS |
| Environmental Quality Incentives Program | Although not designed as an emergency program, EQIP can potentially be used to manage damage from natural disasters or prevent future damages through conservation practices. | NRCS |
State Representatives also add that further assistance may be available This can apply to damages to homes or private access roads on farms, owners could be eligible for FEMA assistance, and farm workers who are out of work may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance.
"In recent years, Congress has also provided supplemental disaster relief through USDA’s Emergency Relief Program to cover revenue losses caused by a natural disaster for both producers who had crop insurance or NAP coverage and those who did not," said the three representatives in a media statement.
