The U.S. Department of Agriculture is giving livestock and poultry producers extra time to apply for the Pandemic Livestock Indemnity Program. The original deadline of September 17 has been extended to October 12 of 2021. South Dakota Pork Producers Council President Shane Odegaard says having more time to apply will be helpful for producers trying to recover from the pandemic’s impacts of backlogs at processing plants.

He says having the PLIP available at least gives producers who struggled through the pandemic some help.

PIip payments are based on 80 percent of the fair market value of the livestock and poultry and for the cost of depopulation and disposal of the animal. Odegaard says having that is positive for producers although they’re not getting over compensated for their losses.

PLIP provides payments to producers for losses of livestock from March 1 2020 through December 26, 2020.