The North Dakota Agriculture Department has begun a program that includes South Dakota and Montana to help producers impacted by this year’s drought. It’s a hay lottery in each of the three states where donated hay will be available. South Dakota Agriculture Department’s Special Projects Coordinator Jodi Bechard says the North Dakota Ag Department is collecting the hay which will be held at the NDSU campus in Fargo. She says hay lottery drawings will be held in each state.

She says producers eligible for the drawing must be from a D2,D3, or D4 area or fire affected county. They must also own at least 25 animal unit equivalents of state specific livestock. Bechard says the applications are easy to fill out.

Bechard says there will be additional drawings if more hay is collected following the initial September drawing with the application deadline the end of this month.

Bechard says each lottery winner must arrange for transportation to pick up their hay in Fargo.