H.R. 3448: Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Livestock Indemnity Program Enhancement Act of 2025, seeks to amend the Agricultural Act of 2014 to provide additional financial support to farmers who experience the death of unborn livestock. The key points of the bill are as follows:

Purpose

The main purpose of the bill is to enhance the current livestock indemnity payment program by including provisions for compensating producers for losses related to unborn livestock.

Eligibility Criteria

• Farmers must have incurred losses of unborn livestock due to certain specified conditions.
• The losses must occur on or after January 1, 2025, to qualify for these additional payments.

Payment Details

The bill outlines a structure for the payments that would be made to eligible producers:

• The Secretary of Agriculture will determine the payment rate.
• The additional payment will be capped at 85% of the payment rate for the lowest weight class of livestock.

Calculation of Payment Amounts

The amount that producers can receive as a payment for unborn livestock losses will depend on various factors:

• If the livestock falls into specific subcategories (A, B, or F as defined within the existing law), the payment will equal the payment rate.
• For livestock classified under other subcategories (D, E, G), the payment will be multiplied by specific factors (2, 12, or an average number of birthed animals respectively).

Definition of Unborn Livestock Death Losses

The bill defines "unborn livestock death losses" as any losses of gestating livestock that were alive at the time of their mother’s death. This encompasses various types of livestock as specified in existing legislation.

Implementation

If passed, this legislation will require the Secretary of Agriculture to implement the new payment structure and to establish the necessary regulations to facilitate these additional payments to eligible producers.

Relevant Companies

• TSN (Tyson Foods) – May see increased demand for livestock due to enhanced indemnity programs.
• JBS (JBS S.A.) – As a major meat producer, they may stand to benefit from improvements in livestock health and stability in supply.