MGR-26-005: Emergency Procedures for Livestock Impacted by Wildfire

BACKGROUND:

Wildfire caused catastrophic damage in Nebraska. The Risk Management Agency (RMA) recognizes the need to provide flexibility to help livestock insurance policyholders in the impacted area.

The local infrastructure for normal day-to-day activities has and will continue to be disrupted as recovery progresses. Due to the interruption of communication capability and the limited ability to travel in the impacted areas, many policyholders may be unable to communicate with their agents to purchase or make changes to their crop insurance policy or report losses within the Livestock Risk Protection (LRP) Basic Provisions (BP) 72-hour requirement.

Due to the severe wildfire damage in Nebraska, producers are struggling to find adequate supplies of feed or forage, causing them to market their livestock sooner than anticipated.

The LRP BP requires livestock to be owned by the producer within the last 60 days of the insurance period or the endorsement is terminated with premium owed, but no indemnities payable.

The 60-day ownership requirement assures the producer maintains an insurable interest in the livestock but does not affect actuarial performance because insurance coverage and losses are determined from commodity futures or cash markets.

ACTION:

RMA authorizes the following for all counties in Nebraska impacted by wildfire:

1. For Livestock Risk Protection Feeder and Fed Cattle, in lieu of the requirements to report livestock death within 72 hours after the policyholder's knowledge of the livestock's death, RMA authorizes AIPs to consider individual circumstances in accepting delayed notices after the policyholder's knowledge of the livestock's death.
2. For Livestock Risk Protection Feeder and Fed Cattle, AIPs, at their sole discretion, may waive the 60-day ownership requirement for the Specific Coverage Endorsements currently in effect as of May 1, 2026, subject to verification of proof of ownership. Proof of ownership can include sales receipts, kill sheets, or other documentation that verifies ownership during the insurance period, showing the date the livestock were sold or slaughtered. The waiver allows producers to market their livestock as necessary while the policy continues in force.
3. For Livestock Gross Margin Cattle, RMA authorizes AIPs to count any livestock death due to the Nebraska wildfires as actual target marketing for the purposes of the "85% rule" and be counted as marketed for the purposes of calculating the market factor.

RMA will continue to monitor the situation and issue additional emergency procedures, if necessary.

DISPOSAL DATE:
December 31, 2026