Topic: Agriculture — Subsidies to Farmers
Subject: Agriculture and food
Date: 2012-07-31 00:00:00

Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2012 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) to make FY2012 livestock indemnity payments from Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds to eligible producers on farms that have incurred livestock death losses in excess of the normal mortality due to: (1) attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law, including wolves and avian predators; or (2) adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat, and extreme cold. Sets payment rates at 75% of the market value of the applicable livestock on the day before death. Directs the Secretary to provide FY2012 compensation from CCC funds for losses to eligible livestock producers due to grazing losses for covered livestock caused by drought or fire. States that an eligible livestock producer may receive drought assistance only for grazing losses for covered livestock that occur on land that is: (1) native or improved pasture land with permanent vegetative cover, or (2) planted with a crop that specifically provides grazing for covered livestock. Prohibits assistance for grazing losses on land used for haying or grazing under the conservation reserve program. Sets the monthly drought payment rate at 60% of the lesser of: (1) the producer's monthly feed cost for all owned or leased covered livestock, or (2) the producer's monthly feed cost calculated by using the normal carrying capacity of the producer's eligible grazing land. (Establishes a partial payment rate where a producer has disposed of covered livestock because of drought.) States that an eligible livestock producer may receive fire assistance only if: (1) the grazing losses occur on federally-managed rangeland, and (2) the producer is prohibited by the federal agency from grazing the normal permitted livestock on such rangeland due to a fire. Sets the payment rate at 50% of the monthly feed cost for the total number of livestock covered by the producer's federal lease. Directs the Secretary to provide FY2012 emergency relief from CCC funds to eligible producers of livestock, honey bees, and farm-raised fish to aid in the reduction of losses due to disease (including cattle tick fever), adverse weather, or other conditions, such as blizzards and wildfires. Directs the Secretary to provide FY2012 assistance from CCC funds to: (1) eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers that lost trees planted for commercial purposes due to a natural disaster, and (2) eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers with a commercial production history that lost planted or existing trees due to a natural disaster. Limits: (1) assistance to only those producers with a tree mortality rate in excess of 15%, and (2) to 500 the total acres planted to trees or tree seedlings for which a person or legal entity may receive payments. Caps tree assistance payments to a person or legal entity (excluding joint ventures or general partnerships) for any crop year at $100,000 or an equivalent value in tree seedlings. Provides reimbursement: (1) at 70% of replanting costs in excess of 15% percent mortality or, at the option of the Secretary, sufficient seedlings to reestablish a stand; and (2) 50% of the cost of pruning, removal, and other costs incurred to salvage existing trees or, in the case of tree mortality, to prepare the land to replant trees in excess of 15% percent damage or mortality. Caps the total amount of disaster assistance payments under this Act to a person or legal entity (excluding joint ventures or general partnerships, and excluding tree assistance payments) for any crop year at $100,000. States that the provisions of this Act shall take effect as of October 1, 2011, and apply to losses that are incurred as the result of a disaster, adverse weather, or other environmental condition that occurs on or before September 30, 2012. Reduces for FY2013: (1) the number of additional acres to be enrolled in the conservation stewardship program, and (2) funding for the environmental quality incentives program.