Hoeven Working to Advance Key Farm Bill Priorities for Livestock Producers

BISMARCK, N.D. – At the annual convention of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association today, Senator John Hoeven outlined his efforts as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of Senate Agriculture Committee to advance key priorities for U.S. livestock producers. To this end, the Senate’s Farm Bill 2.0 includes Hoeven-authored provisions to: Prevent prairie dog colonies from expanding beyond reasonable levels. The provision amends prairie dog management plans for the Dakota Prairie Grasslands to limit prairie dog habitat to no more than 1.5 percent of any single grazing allotment and establish a 1-mile buffer along adjacent state and private lands. Improve the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) by establishing in statute, payment categories for calves weighing less than 400 pounds and 400 pounds or more. Ensure that during qualifying drought conditions the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP) covers transportation costs associated with: Hauling feed or water to livestock. Moving livestock to available forage or grazing acres. “Our cattle producers have faced a range of challenges in recent years, including diminished herd sizes and natural disasters. We’re working to ensure the Farm Bill builds on the improvements we passed in the Working Families Tax Cut Act and provide better support for our ranchers,” said Hoeven. “This includes improving livestock disaster programs like LIP, ELAP and LFP. We’re working to expand the coverage provided by these programs and making reforms to ensure they work for our producers. At the same time, I’ve authored a measure that’s in the Senate Farm Bill to tackle the issue of prairie dogs on federal lands. These colonies need to be better managed to protect grazers and adjacent private lands, and my legislation places meaningful limits on how far prairie dogs can spread.” The provisions Hoeven worked to secure in the Senate’s Farm Bill build on provisions passed as part of the Working Families Tax Cut Act, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill. These include: Expanding Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) payment coverage to include: 100% of market value for losses from federally protected predators. 75% for weather and disease losses. Better assisting ranchers impacted by drought through the Livestock Forage Program (LFP), which now provides: One monthly payment to producers with grazing land in counties rated D2 (severe drought) for at least four consecutive weeks. Two payments if D2 persists during any seven of eight consecutive weeks within the normal grazing period. -###-