USDA TO MAKE FINAL PAYMENTS TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS STARTING SEPT. 2
                                                               
                                            Release No. 0292.97
                                                               
                                   Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623
                                             jpetterson@usda.gov
                                       Dann Stuart (202) 690-0474
                                           dstuart.wdc.fsa.usda.gov

USDA TO MAKE FINAL PAYMENTS TO LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS STARTING SEPT. 2

     Washington, August 28, 1997--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today
announced that the final payment under the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) will
be made beginning the first week in September by local Farm Service Agency
offices.
     
     The LIP is a $50 million emergency program to help livestock producers who
suffered losses from natural disasters, especially those in North and South
Dakota and Minnesota who lost thousands of animals to last winter's blizzards.
The net covered amount in approved LIP applications was $50,646,843. Since it
exceeded the $50 million authorized, a uniform reduction of about 2 percent is
being applied to the approved amount of each producer's claim.        

     Under the LIP program, USDA is reimbursing eligible producers for livestock
losses in areas: (1) where a disaster occurred between October 1, 1996, and June
12, 1997, and (2) for which a Presidential Declaration or Secretarial Designation
was requested as a result of the disaster by June 12, 1997, and was subsequently
approved. A sign up period was held from June 30 through July 25, 1997.  An
advance payment equal to 33 percent of the approved amount was made within two
weeks of the approved application, if requested.
      
     Funds for this program were generated by selling USDA-owned grain in the
disaster reserve established by the Agricultural Act of 1970.
     
     The following table shows the net covered loss amount by State:
               Arkansas                   8,204.50
               California             1,261,738.44
               Hawaii                    37,354.50
               Idaho                     27,915.00
               Illinois                   4,090.00
               Kentucky                   8,723.45
               Louisiana                 60,019.00
               Massachusetts             13,102.00
               Minnesota              2,316,672.10
               Montana                3,795,748.60
               Nebraska                 790,791.52
               New Mexico               212,168.50
               New York                  47,331.00
               North Dakota          12,635,639.22
               Ohio                      19,196.00
               Oregon                    36,881.50
               South Dakota          26,604,338.88
               Tennessee                 24,506.84
               Texas                    244,819.00
               Washington               165,522.00
               West Virginia              4,036.00
               Wyoming                2,258,044.68 
     
                    TOTAL          $50,646,842.73