2021 Mycoplasma bovis Losses Now Eligible for Livestock Indemnity Program
Claims must be filed by February 28, 2022

The USDA Farm Service Agency issued a formal notice on January 19, 2022, announcing that bison death losses resulting from Mycoplasma bovis may be eligible for coverage under the agency’s Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). The notice specified the requirements for filing all claims, as well as the deadlines for filing those claims.

2021 Losses
Losses experienced in calendar year 2021 may be eligible for coverage under LIP. However, all claims for 2021 losses must be filed with the producer’s local FSA office by February 28, 2022. (Click here to locate your local Farm Service Center office).

Losses Experienced After January 1, 2022
For any losses experienced this year—and in future years—claims must be filed with the local FSA office within 30 calendar days from the ending date of the eligible loss condition. That means producers must file the claims within 30 days of the death loss occurrence.

Documentation required for All Claims
Producers filing claims must provide documentation to support all livestock numbers (including kind and weight) as well as documentation supporting the number of livestock lost or injured due to the adverse condition. Verification of livestock inventory and losses may include, but is not limited to:

• Business records
• Bank statements
• Photographic evidence
• Veterinarian statements
• Necropses
• 3rd party accounts
• FSA field visit

All claims must include an accounting of the number of animals lost because of Mycoplasma bovis, as well as any documentation of adverse weather events (including drought) during that period. LIP regulations require that eligible losses be connected with an adverse weather event.

Background on Livestock Indemnity Program
The Livestock Indemnity Program provides benefits to eligible livestock owners for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by eligible loss conditions, including eligible adverse weather, eligible disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators. In addition, LIP provides assistance to eligible livestock owners that must sell livestock at a reduced price because of an injury from an eligible loss condition.

Animals eligible for LIP coverage must have been maintained for commercial use as a part of the ranching operation on the day they died, and must not have been produced or maintained for reasons other than commercial use (e.g., hunting, cutting horse training).

LIP payments for owners are based on national payment rates that are 75 percent of the market value of the applicable livestock as determined by the USDA’s Secretary of Agriculture. The National Bison Association has worked with FSA to establish payment rates that reflect the actual market conditions for bison. The table below lists the current reimbursement rates for bison:

For More Information
This fact sheet is for informational purposes only; other eligibility requirements or restrictions may apply. To find more information about FSA disaster assistance programs, visit farmers.gov or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit farmers.gov/service-center-locator.