The Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) is run by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). It pays livestock producers for grazing lost to drought. It can also pay for grazing lost to fire, but only on federally managed land.
You do not have to wait for a "disaster declaration" to get LFP. It is triggered county by county by the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor map.
Who can get it
- You raise eligible livestock for commercial use. That includes beef and dairy cattle, bison, sheep, goats, horses kept for commercial use, and several other grazing animals.
- You own or cash-lease grazing land or pasture in a county that hit a drought trigger.
- The drought hit during your county's normal grazing period for that pasture type. FSA sets these periods by county and forage type, such as native pasture or small grains.
- You can document your livestock and your grazing land.
Animals kept for hunting or for your own table do not qualify, and neither do horses used for racing or betting.
What triggers a payment
Payments depend on how bad the drought got in your county, based on the U.S. Drought Monitor's D-levels. "D2" means severe drought, "D3" extreme and "D4" exceptional. Starting with 2026 losses, the triggers are:
| Drought in your county during the normal grazing period | Monthly payments |
|---|---|
| D2 for at least 4 weeks in a row | 1 |
| D2 for at least 7 of 8 weeks in a row | 2 |
| D3 at any time | 3 |
| D3 for at least 4 weeks, or D4 at any time | 4 |
| D4 for 4 weeks (they don't have to be in a row) | 5 |
The first two rows are new. Before 2026, it took 8 weeks in a row of D2 to earn one month.
Important: FSA's own 2026 eligibility maps carry a note that they do not yet include the new D2 triggers. If your county had 4 straight weeks of D2 and the map doesn't show it, ask your county FSA office.
How the payment is figured
One "monthly payment" is 60% of a monthly feed cost. FSA uses the lower of two numbers:
- A set feed cost per head, times your eligible head, or
- A feed cost based on how many animals your grazing acres can normally carry.
FSA sets a new per-head feed cost every year. For 2025 it was $41.40 per month for an adult beef cow. Sixty percent of that is $24.84 per cow per month.
Example only: 100 cows × $24.84 × 1 month comes to about $2,484, if your acres would normally carry 100 cows. Your real number depends on that year's rate, your carrying capacity, payment limits and income limits.
If you sold livestock because of drought in one or both of the two years before, the rate on those animals is 80% of the monthly rate. That is a different number from the 60%.
How to check your county
- Open the FSA LFP Eligibility Tool at droughtmonitor.unl.edu/fsa, or FSA's weekly county table on the LFP maps page.
- Find your county and your pasture type. Native pasture can qualify when small grains don't, or the other way around.
- Look at the number of payment months shown.
- Call your county FSA office to confirm it. They make the final call.
What to do next
- Write things down now. Keep head counts, purchase and sale records, leases, maps of your grazing acres, and dated photos of your pastures.
- Call your county FSA office for an appointment. You can find it at farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator.
- Bring or file these forms: CCC-853 (the LFP application), an FSA-578 acreage report, and the eligibility forms FSA asks for. Those include AD-2047, CCC-902, CCC-941 (income certification) and AD-1026. If you don't already have direct deposit set up, bring SF-3881 too.
- Mind the deadline. Applications are due March 1 after the year of the loss. For 2026 losses, that is March 1, 2027. FSA confirms this.
Common mistakes
- Thinking you need a disaster declaration first. You don't for LFP.
- Only checking one pasture type.
- Assuming the map is final. Ask your office, especially about the new D2 triggers.
- Waiting until February, when every county office is busy.
Cownty can text you when your county's LFP status changes, so you don't have to check the map every Thursday.
Cownty is an independent service and is not affiliated with USDA or any government agency. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm your eligibility with your county FSA office.
See it for your county
Check your county
Every county, by state: Texas · Oklahoma · Kansas · New Mexico
Official sources
- FSA – Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP)
- FSA – Weekly LFP eligibility maps and county tables
- FSA – LFP fact sheet (May 2025), payment formula and rates
- FSA – Working Families Tax Cuts Act program updates (July 8, 2026)
- National Drought Mitigation Center – FSA LFP Eligibility Tool
- farmers.gov – USDA Service Center Locator
Rules and dates checked against these pages on Oct 18, 2026. Information only, not legal, tax, insurance or financial advice: the agency decides. Not affiliated with USDA or any government agency.