Sheep and cattle producers in 216 drought-stressed Texas counties could apply for their share of the $16.1 million block grant funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas Department of Agriculture, the state agency assigned to administer the federal financial assistance program, reports more than 24,000 applicants applied for the funds.

Calculating the number of eligible livestock claimed with the amount of granted money, the final per-head rates are $6.72 for beef cattle and $1.34 for sheep, according to TDA spokesperson Beverly Boyd.

“Because of the large number of applicants and the limited amount of available federal funds, payments may not cover all of the losses producers incurred,” Boyd said on Dec. 20.

Boyd also noted on Dec. 20 that “checks are being processed now and should be in the mail shortly, which means producers may receive them around the end of the year (or the) beginning of the new year, depending on mail delivery.”

Source: Country World