9-9-2004 |
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West Virginia is one of six new states to be included in an expanded federal livestock program, allowing 11,000 cattle producers in the Mountain State to protect themselves against a drop in prices for a specific feeding or grazing period, according to Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. Feeder cattle, fed cattle and swine are included in the program, and policies should be available in October. "I encourage all producers to take advantage of this program," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. "Adding livestock to USDA's traditional crop insurance programs is something I have advocated for some time. These programs will help West Virginia farmers better control their bottom lines from year to year." The Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) program is part of an integrated risk management program, the goal of which is to help West Virginia's farmers to develop individual farm plans that guard against catastrophic losses by spreading, transferring, reducing or eliminating risk factors. West Virginia and other northeast states has been declared "underserved" by the USDA because there have been just a few crop insurance programs that matched the agricultural mix in those states. The LRP program is one of a number of new tools being offered to help remedy the situation. The LRP program sets the level of indemnity based on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange national feeder cattle price index, which is a formulated national benchmark developed by the Livestock Market Section of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For more information, or to apply for the program, contact your
local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or visit www.rma.usda.gov.
Contact: Buddy Davidson The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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