USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Bill Northey has announced an administrative clarification nationwide to the Livestock Indemnity Program. In the event of disease, this change by the Farm Service Agency authorizes local FSA county committees to accept veterinarian certifications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good management. The committees can then use that to award payments.

South Dakota Senator John Thune has asked the agency for the modification and got word of their support earlier this week.

Thune says allowing the use of certification will help provide federal assistance to livestock producers that have been hit hard by the tough winter weather and may have been declined for payment in the past.

The Senator says they’ve had good response from livestock groups to this common-sense approach.