How much does the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) pay?
USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)
Based on livestock count & drought severity
Researched for this program: 5 rejection traps · 6 required documentsWhat decides this award ↓
LFP pays one to five monthly payments: the worse the drought in your county, the more months you get. Each month’s payment is based on the monthly feed cost of the livestock you graze on eligible land, so dollars scale with herd size.
LFP provides direct payments to livestock producers whose eligible grazing land was affected by qualifying drought or wildfire. Payment rates are based on drought severity (US Drought Monitor categories D2–D4) and the number of monthly feed costs the drought disrupted. No pre-application or sign-up period — producers apply at their local FSA office after a qualifying loss. This is a permanent, standing program.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $125,000
- Realistic amount
- One to five monthly payments, set by your county’s drought severity. Each payment scales with the number and type of livestock you graze on eligible land.
- Deadline
- Applications must be submitted by March 1 following the calendar year in which the grazing loss occurred
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- one to five monthly payments
Who qualifies
- Livestock producers who own or lease eligible grazing land or pastureland affected by qualifying drought (D2 or above per US Drought Monitor) or wildfire on federally managed rangelands
- Eligible livestock: beef cattle, dairy cattle, buffalo, beefalo, water buffalo, equine, goats, sheep, alpacas, ostriches, emus, deer, elk, reindeer, and llamas maintained for commercial farming operations
- Livestock must have been owned or leased on the affected grazing land during the disaster period
- Must provide verifiable documentation of grazing losses, lease/permit agreements, and livestock inventory
- Must meet Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) limitations
- For drought losses: grazing county must have been rated at D2 Severe Drought for at least 4 consecutive weeks, or D3 Extreme Drought or D4 Exceptional Drought, during the normal grazing period
Hard requirements
- Restricted to industry: livestock production (cattle, sheep, goats, equine, alpacas, etc. for commercial farming)
Questions ranchers ask next
How many monthly payments will I get?
One to five, set by how severe the drought was in your county during the normal grazing period. FSA publishes the ladder:
- D2 (Severe) for at least 4 consecutive weeks: 1 payment
- D2 for at least 7 of 8 consecutive weeks: 2 payments
- D3 (Extreme) at any time: 3 payments
- D3 for at least 4 weeks, or D4 (Exceptional) at any time: 4 payments
- D4 for 4 weeks, not necessarily in a row: 5 payments
Is the drought threshold still 8 weeks?
No. The first payment now starts after 4 consecutive weeks of D2 drought, not 8.
FSA lowered the threshold under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, so a county that sat in severe drought for a month can now qualify. If a guide still says eight weeks, it is out of date. All other drought levels and payment months are unchanged.
Does a wildfire count?
Only if the fire was on federally managed rangeland and kept you from grazing your normal permitted livestock there.
Fire on private land is not covered by LFP. For fire losses, payment depends on your eligible livestock and the grazing days you lost, not on the Drought Monitor.
Who can apply?
Livestock producers who own or lease grazing land or pastureland in an affected county, or lose permitted grazing on federal rangeland to a qualifying fire.
The animals must be kept for commercial use as part of a farming operation: beef and dairy cattle, bison, horses, goats, sheep, alpacas, llamas, deer and elk are among those listed. You need verifiable proof of the loss, so call your local FSA office before you gather paperwork.
When do I have to file?
By March 1 after the end of the calendar year in which the grazing loss happened.
See the Deadline row above. You file at your local FSA office, so a loss late in one year still leaves you until early the next.
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- LFP is a direct payment program — funds can be used for any farm operating purpose
- Intended to offset costs of purchasing supplemental feed when grazing land is unavailable
- Haul water and feed when livestock cannot graze
- Any operating expenses associated with maintaining the livestock operation during the drought period
Ineligible expenses
- LFP payments are not tied to specific eligible expenses — this is a direct income-replacement payment
- Losses must be grazing losses due to drought or fire — not general market or income losses
How to apply
-
1
Verify qualifying drought or fire event
Check the US Drought Monitor (droughtmonitor.unl.edu) to confirm your county had qualifying drought conditions (D2 for at least 4 consecutive weeks, or D3 or D4) during your normal grazing season. For wildfire losses: confirm the fire occurred on federally managed rangeland you have a grazing permit for.
-
2
Gather documentation
Collect: (a) livestock records showing head count and type of livestock during the disaster period, (b) lease agreements, grazing permits, or deed for the affected land, (c) FSA acreage report (FSA-578) for the land, (d) CCC-853 application form (from FSA office). Contact your local FSA office before your first visit to confirm what documents are required.
-
3
File application at local FSA office by March 1
Submit all required forms and documentation to your local FSA Service Center. FSA staff will calculate your eligible payment based on livestock count, land acres, drought severity, and duration. File by March 1 following the calendar year of the loss.
-
4
Receive direct payment
FSA processes approved applications and issues direct payment via ACH to your bank account. Processing typically takes 30–90 days after a complete application is submitted. No matching funds required.
Industry & certifications
NAICS codes: 112, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1124, 1129
Many ranchers miss the March 1 deadline because they don't realize their county had qualifying drought conditions. Check the FSA's LFP eligibility map regularly during drought season — don't wait for a notice.
Deadline & timing
The deadline follows an annual rule: applications for losses occurring in a given calendar year must be filed by March 1 of the following year. For losses in 2026, the deadline is March 1, 2027. Apply at your local FSA office — there is no online application portal. If you experienced qualifying drought in a prior year, check with your FSA office for whether that year's application window remains open.
Get one email if this program changes
GrantCompass tracks USDA FSA Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll tell you if it sets a deadline, changes its terms or closes.
Free. One email when the window moves, deadline warnings on your watchlist, and the monthly closing-soon digest. Unsubscribe anytime.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
This program is not taking applications today — these are
Alternatives computed from the live GrantCompass catalog on November 1, 2026 — all 170 open grant programs · filter the database.
Explore more funding
Last updated October 30, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.