This bill amends the Agricultural Credit Act of 1978 to require the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give agricultural producers the option of receiving advance payments under the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) for the repair or replacement of fencing.
(The ECP provides emergency funding and technical assistance to farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate farmland damaged by natural disasters and to implement emergency water conservation measures in periods of severe drought.)
The advance payments must be provided before the producer carries out the repair or replacement and be based on the fair market value of the cost of the repair or replacement approved by USDA under the program.