Wednesday, September 13, 2006
CONTACT: Barry E. Piatt
or Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551
DELEGATION RESPONDS TO USDA DISASTER DECLARATION
Dorgan, Conrad, Pomeroy Continue to Fight for ND’s Farmers and Ranchers
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) --- Responding to a request from Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Congressman Earl Pomeroy, the USDA today designated the entire state of North Dakota an agricultural disaster area.
"The Department of Agriculture has finally acknowledged that our farmers and ranchers have been devastated and they need help and they need it now," the delegation said in a joint statement. "But this is just a first step. We need a comprehensive agriculture disaster bill to help farmers and ranchers recover from their devastating losses in 2005 and 2006."
Last week, the delegation urged the Secretary of Agriculture to clear the way for emergency loan programs for North Dakota producers by designating the state a primary agricultural disaster area. In a letter to Agriculture Secretary Michael Johanns, the delegation called on the USDA to designate all 53 North Dakota counties as primary agricultural disaster counties. Doing so opens the door for farmers and ranchers in disaster counties to apply for emergency loan programs through USDA.
"While we are glad that the USDA finally recognizes the seriousness of the situation in North Dakota, the designation alone will not come close to giving the help our farm families need. We need to get farmers and ranchers help by passing an agriculture disaster package so they can start to rebuild for next year, " the delegation said.
Today, Senators Conrad and Dorgan introduced the Emergency Farm Relief Act of 2006, which is being considered as an amendment to a port security bill. The amendment combines legislation Senators Conrad and Dorgan previously introduced to support ranchers and farmers impacted by weather related disasters in the 2005 growing season with emergency legislation to aid producers suffering from the 2006 drought devastating the Great Plains. In June, Senator Dorgan attached a similar farm relief package to the Fiscal Year 2007 Agriculture Appropriations bill. During a Farm Bill hearing of the House Agriculture committee, Pomeroy pushed Majority members to join the fight for disaster assistance. "Unless the Administration takes action immediately we will begin to see farm family after farm family put their homes and livelihoods on the auction block. We can't let that happen," the delegation said. "We will not turn our backs on our farmers and ranchers."
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