MANHATTAN -- Jack Salava, Acting State Executive Director of USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Kansas encouraged producers who suffered livestock death losses on or after January 1, 2008, to begin compiling verifiable documentation of eligible livestock deaths.

"Eligible disaster conditions include blizzards, disease, extreme cold, extreme heat, floods, hurricanes, and wildfires."

Producers will need to provide documentation detailing the proof of death to indicate that the livestock deaths are a direct result of an eligible adverse weather event. It will also be necessary for producers to provide documents detailing the quantity and kind of livestock that died as a result of the adverse weather event. Documentation may include, but is not limited to the following: bank or other loan documents, FEMA records, tax records, National Guard records, private insurance documents, production records, property tax records, purchase records, rendering truck receipts, veterinarian records, and written contracts.

In the event verifiable documentation is not available, producers will be required to present reliable records documenting the proof of death along with verifiable beginning and ending livestock inventory.

"FSA is not currently taking LIP applications or making LIP payments,"

Salava said. "We are simply informing producers of the documents that will need to be presented to FSA to prove death losses for LIP purposes."

After Federal Regulations are published for LIP, FSA will distribute additional information on the program. FSA program information can be obtained at your local FSA county office or visit http://www.fsa.usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.