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LFP Payment Calculator

Estimate Your LFP Payment

If drought hits your county, LFP may help cover the feed cost gap. Enter your operation and see what FSA could pay.

What LFP actually is

Think of LFP as weather insurance on forage you can’t irrigate — with one important catch. You don’t pay a premium, but you do need to be a registered FSA producer with your livestock already on record. Payments are calculated against what you’ve reported, not against head counts you claim after drought hits. If you haven’t filed a current acreage or livestock report, that’s your first stop before anything else.

Assuming you’re on file, eligibility turns on the U.S. Drought Monitor map for your county. If it shades red at certain severity levels for long enough, you may qualify for a payment based on your registered livestock. FSA calculates a monthly feed cost per animal (adult beef cow, for example, runs about $33/month), multiplies by your herd, then pays 60% of that for each qualifying month — up to 5 months in the worst drought scenarios.

What changes year to year is whether your county qualifies and how many months of payment the drought triggers. The card below shows the rule change that matters most right now. Below that, enter your county, livestock, and the drought level hitting you to see your estimated payment.

OBBB changed this in 2025 · D2 drought triggers payment sooner

The Livestock Forage Disaster Program now triggers a month earlier at the D2 severity level. Same drought, same county — the eligibility clock moved up.

Before (pre-OBBB)
2018 Farm Bill rules, through July 2025
8 consecutive weeks at D2
Example: county hits D2 on Aug 1 → may qualify Oct 1.
Now (2025+)
Under OBBB, signed July 4, 2025
4 consecutive weeks at D2
Example: county hits D2 on Aug 1 → may qualify Sept 1.

D3 and D4 trigger rules (and the underlying monthly payment math) are unchanged. If you’re looking at a county that just went D2, confirm eligibility with your local FSA office before you apply.

How LFP works: LFP eligibility is triggered automatically by drought conditions in your county. You do not need to purchase coverage in advance. If your county qualifies, you can apply at your local FSA office.

1. Your county

Enter your ZIP code to identify your county. Drought eligibility is determined at the county level.

2. Livestock type

Select the type of livestock on your operation. Feed cost rates differ by category.

3. Number of head

Enter the number of eligible livestock. This should reflect your normal grazing herd on the affected pasture.

head

4. Grazing type

Select your primary forage type. This helps identify the grazing loss but does not change the estimated payment in this calculator.

5. Drought severity

Select the drought level affecting your county. You can check current conditions on the Drought Dashboard or at droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

LFP payment rates are set by FSA and updated periodically. The estimates above use approximate 2025/2026 feed cost data and should not be considered quotes or guarantees. Eligibility, payment rates, and program rules may change. Check with your local FSA office for the most current information. Farmer's Navigator is not affiliated with USDA or FSA.

Related Guides & Tools

Disaster Assistance Guide · Drought Dashboard · Emergency Triage Tool · Payment Estimator

Counties Currently in Severe Drought

LFP payments trigger based on U.S. Drought Monitor readings. These counties are currently in D2 drought or deeper — check each county page for details on the LFP trigger math and local FSA office info.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor via USDA. Updated 2026-05-01.

This tool provides general guidance based on publicly available USDA program information. It is not legal or financial advice. Program rules, deadlines, and availability may change. Always confirm with your local FSA office before making decisions.