USDA Announces Disaster Assistance for Coryell County Livestock Producers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency has flagged disaster-assistance options that may apply to Coryell County livestock producers after federal disaster listings included Coryell as a contiguous eligible county under a Lampasas primary designation. The notices and local outreach clarify program types, covered losses, and a March 10, 2025 application deadline that producers need to track.

Local officials posted that the Coryell County FSA would be present at a June 27, 2024 public meeting at the Gatesville Civic Center to discuss assistance. A community news item published February 6, 2026 in the Gatesville Messenger republished program guidance that echoes the county posting and highlights the Livestock Indemnity Program. The county posting states, "Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather or by attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government."

Beyond LIP, the county materials record other programs available to producers. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish is framed in the county notice this way: "Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to eligible producers of livestock, honeybees and farm-raised fish for losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires, not covered by LFP and LIP." The county posting also lists the Emergency Loan Program and notes, "Emergency Loan Program provides loans to help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding, other natural disasters, or quarantine by animal quarantine laws or imposed by the Secretary under the Plant Protection Act."

A federal Secretarial natural disaster designation dated August 2, 2024 emphasizes the lending role: "This Secretarial natural disaster designation allows the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters through emergency loans." The release further states, "Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation, or to refinance certain debts." The release adds that "FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available, and repayment ability."

Federal listings supplied to local outlets identify flooding and excessive rain as triggering events. One set of notices ties the trigger to May 4, 2024 through May 5, 2024; another references flooding beginning March 11, 2024 and continuing. The FSA content explicitly lists Coryell as a contiguous eligible county under a Lampasas primary county disaster designation. Multiple USDA releases included an application deadline of March 10, 2025 for affected programs.

Producers seeking help should contact their local USDA Service Center and use USDA online disaster tools and loan assistance resources to determine eligibility and next steps. The Farm Service Agency headquarters is listed at 1400 Independence Ave. SW Washington, DC 20250.

Record-keeping and timing matter. The materials captured do not include payment rates, application forms, or a local Service Center phone number, and the Gatesville Messenger item is behind a subscription wall. Producers with losses should gather production and mortality records, confirm enrollment requirements, and contact the local Service Center promptly to protect eligibility ahead of the March 10, 2025 deadline. Local officials and extension offices should publish direct contact details so ranchers and pasture-based operations can move quickly.