Drought relief available for agricultural producers

OKLAHOMA CITY – The application period opens Nov. 12 for a new program to deliver critical drought relief for Oklahoma agricultural producers.

The program, approved by the Emergency Drought Committee in late October, sets the application period from Nov. 12 through Jan. 31, 2025. Applications will be available at local conservation districts and on the Oklahoma Conservation Commission website starting Nov. 12.

The program was created under House Bill 3182, which allows the secretary of Agriculture to declare drought conditions, opening the path to distributing emergency funding pending committee approval.

To qualify, producers must be in counties where 25 percent or more of the land area is categorized as D1 drought or worse, as indicated by the National Drought Monitor. Each Thursday at 9 a.m., the Oklahoma Conservation Commission will publish an updated list of eligible counties to local conservation districts. Almost every county in Southwest Oklahoma was in the D-3 Extreme Drought category, as of Oct. 29.

Eligible producers may apply for assistance with several practices, including pipeline installation, heavy-use protection areas, water wells, pumping plants, watering facilities, pasture taps and pond cleanouts.

“This new assistance program is designed to offer immediate, practical relief to those impacted by severe drought,” said Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington, the bill’s Senate sponsor. “From helping to secure water resources to addressing infrastructure needs, this program will be a critical tool in ensuring that Oklahoma’s producers can weather these conditions and continue to drive our agricultural economy.”