Sebelius says Kansas ranchers to receive help
Federal assistance on the way for ranchers in 24 counties hit hardest by drought

Kansas ranchers will receive help dealing with the affects of the drought, Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced today. 

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has told Sebelius that Kansas will receive nearly $4.8 million under the recently announced Livestock Assistance Grant Program.

“Hot, dry weather is hard on livestock, and it cuts down on the amount of land suitable for grazing, which drives up feed costs.  This will certainly help Kansas livestock producers, and it’s a step in the right direction to help ease the economic impact of the drought on our ranchers,” Sebelius said. 

On Tuesday, Secretary Johanns announced $50 million has been earmarked for the Livestock Assistance Grant Program to help livestock producers who have suffered forage production losses or who have had to pay increased feed costs, costs associated with relocating livestock or costs for emergency water supplies due to ongoing drought.   Kansas’ share of that allocation is $4,781,740.

To be eligible to participate in the assistance program, livestock producers must live in a county that reached extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) drought status on the U.S. drought monitor between March 7 and August 31.  

Twenty-four Kansas counties meet that criteria: Bourbon, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Crawford, Finney, Ford, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, Kearny, Labette, Meade, Morton, Rawlins, Scott, Seward, Stanton, Stevens, Wallace and Wichita.

Sebelius said the relief effort will be run by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and that details are still being ironed out.

“USDA has provided minimal guidance, so it will be up to states to decide how the grant program will work,” Sebelius said.  “Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky and his staff are working to get assistance to ranchers as quickly as possible.”

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