The Arkansas Agriculture Department has announced an extended deadline for Livestock Assistance Grant Program applications until close of business on Tuesday, September 4.

Governor Mike Beebe set aside $2,000,000 from the Governor’s Disaster Fund to help Arkansas ranchers during the recent persistent drought conditions.  The Livestock Assistance Grant Program will help cattle, sheep and goat producers, many of whom are finding it difficult to locate, grow or afford hay and other forage for their animals.

The program is administered by the Arkansas Agriculture Department, and payments will be made on a per-head basis for qualifying livestock producers. Applications must be filed online, delivered to the Arkansas Agriculture Department by 4:30 p.m. or postmarked by Tuesday, September 4, 2012.

Applications are available through the Arkansas Agriculture Department (or (501) 683-4851), University of Arkansas’s Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service county offices (www.uaex.edu), the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association (www.arbeef.org), the Agricultural Council of Arkansas (www.agcouncil.net), Farm Service Agency county offices, Natural Resource Conservation Service district offices, Conservation District offices and Arkansas Farm Bureau county offices (www.arfb.com).