County ranchers have until Saturday to sign up for the Livestock Forage Disaster Program’s emergency relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for stock losses due to the drought.

Recent rainfall has started the water flowing at Carr Canyon Falls. Despite last week’s precipitation, 100 percent of Cochise County is classified as being in a “D2” severe drought. Symptoms include likely crop or pasture losses, high fire risk and common water shortages. (Ed Honda • Wick News Service)

The Arizona Cattle Growers Association worked hard to get the federal government to declare 13 counties in the state, including Cochise County, as  disaster areas, according to Carol Case, Cochise County Farm Service Agency executive director.

“Ranchers need to call me,” Case said. “We have been calling as many ranchers as we could to let them know the assistance is available and get them signed up before the deadline. In order to qualify for the assistance, ranchers need to purchase insurance through the disaster assistance program. Though a number of county ranchers have purchased the insurance in the past two years, many let it go, since it didn’t pay.”

The county is considered to be in a level D2 severe drought, which means  “crop or pasture losses likely; fire risk very high; water shortages common and water restrictions imposed,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor Web site. Graphics show 100 percent of the county is in the D2 stage drought, with the state suffering the fourth-driest year on record.

The D2 rating includes ranchland that has suffered severe drought intensity in any area of the county over at least eight consecutive weeks during the normal grazing period, stated Patrick Bray, deputy director of government affairs for the Arizona Cattle Growers Association. All types of livestock from buffalo to swine are eligible under the Livestock Forage Disaster Program, whether on private or public grazing lands.

To be eligible for assistance funds, producers need to obtain an insurance policy on grazing land through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Services Agency.

The cost is $250 a year, Bray states on an information sheet. 

Case said ranchers could qualify for low-interest loans through the Farm Services Agency to make up for lost income, and the Internal Revenue Service allows ranchers to defer income tax from the sale of livestock because of the circumstances.

Producers can expect around $24 a head in payment from the drought assistance program, Case added.

Nathan and Jackie Watkins raise sheep and goats on their farm on Frontier Road.

“Our operation is small and because of our irrigation, we are not as impacted by drought as a larger ranch is. We do not run too many animals on our native pasture, so it is doing OK for now, but if we don’t get spring or summer rains again, then we will be hurting. Irrigation is costly, and we do need rain to replenish the aquifer. We normally get around 12 to 15 inches of precipitation, but we only got a little over 6 inches in 2009. A few more years like that and we will see a great impact,” said Nathan Watkins.

The Watkinses believe they are eligible for relief, but haven’t called yet to find out.

Jackie Watkins’s father, Mike Power, ranches on land around the Mule Mountains and relies on rainwater to fill stock tanks and water native grasses, Nathan Watkins said. “There are certain pastures that can’t be utilized, and hauling of water is out of the question.”

In a letter to Gov. Jan Brewer, Stephen Brophy, president of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, says the U.S. seasonal drought outlook forecasts a continuation of dry conditions for a large portion of the state.

While the winter rains and snow have helped some, the decade-long drought will probably persist.

Even though the current El Niño may channel Pacific storms over Arizona, there is a big deficit to overcome. It would take a number of years to make up for the decade of low rainfall.

“We believe this data demonstrates what we clearly understand that when Arizona misses its monsoon rainfall, the next several seasons are extremely difficult,” Brophy said.

For more information …

• Visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Web site at www.fsa.usda.gov.

• Call the Arizona Cattle Growers Association’s Patrick Bray, deputy director of Governmental Affairs, at (602) 762-0671, or e-mail him at pbray@arizonabeef.org.

• Call Carol Case at the Cochise County Farm Service Agency, (520) 384-3588, Ext. 2,

or e-mail her at carol.case@az.usda.gov.