Title 7 › Chapter 115— AGRICULTURAL COMMODITY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter IV— SUPPLEMENTAL AGRICULTURAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › § 9081
The Secretary of Agriculture must use Commodity Credit Corporation money to pay farmers, ranchers, and related producers for certain losses from predators, bad weather, disease, drought, fire, and other emergencies. Eligible people include U.S. citizens, resident aliens, tribes, partnerships, and state-law farm businesses. Short definitions: covered producer = a beginning, limited‑resource, socially disadvantaged, or veteran farmer or rancher; eligible producer on a farm = a person or business that takes on the production and market risk; farm‑raised fish = aquatic species raised in a controlled environment; livestock = animals like cattle, bison, poultry, sheep, swine, horses, and other animals; Secretary = Secretary of Agriculture. Payments for dead or reduced‑value livestock: 100% of market value if animals are killed by federally reintroduced or protected predators; 75% of market value for deaths or forced low sales from adverse weather or from vector‑borne disease not controllable by vaccination. Market value is the day before the death or harmful event. Payments won’t duplicate other federal livestock compensation. If animals are sold at a reduced price after the event, the payment is made if the sale was timely and is reduced by the sale amount. For unborn livestock lost on or after January 1, 2024, producers get an extra payment up to 85% of a base rate, with species multipliers: cattle, bison, horses = 1; sheep = 2; swine = 12; other species = average number born per pregnancy. For grazing losses from drought or fire, eligible livestock producers can get monthly payments based on feed costs. Normal drought payments equal 60% of the lesser of actual monthly feed cost or the cost using normal grazing capacity (80% of that rate if the producer previously sold animals because of drought). Monthly feed cost = 30 days × feed‑grain equivalent × corn price per pound. An adult beef cow’s feed‑grain equivalent is 15.7 pounds per day. The corn price per pound is the higher national average corn price per bushel for the 12‑ or 24‑month period before March 1, divided by 56. Drought payment lengths depend on U.S. Drought Monitor ratings (from 1 to 5 months for increasing drought severity). Fire relief applies only when federal agencies close managed rangeland; rate is 50% of monthly feed cost for the number of animals on the federal lease and no more than 180 days per year. Producers must choose drought or fire aid for the same loss, not both. Emergency relief for livestock, honey bees, and farm‑raised freshwater fish covers other losses not already listed. Covered producers get reimbursement of 90% of eligible costs. Fish producers harmed by fish‑eating birds can get payments determined by the Secretary but not less than $600 per acre; payment equals that rate times 85% of the acres in production. Orchard and nursery tree growers can get help if tree losses from natural disasters exceed normal mortality: generally 65% reimbursement for replanting or seedlings, and 65% for pruning, removal, and land prep; beginning and veteran farmers get 75% instead. Tree payments are capped at 1,000 acres per person or legal entity. Finally, disaster assistance for grazing (drought) is capped at $125,000 per person or entity per crop year, and attribution rules from the Food Security Act apply.
Full Legal Text
Agriculture — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
7 U.S.C. § 9081
Title 7 — Agriculture
Last Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60