Since first being elected to the House of Representatives in 1996, I have fought hard to promote South Dakota’s agriculture economy and to protect the way of life for South Dakota’s farming families. I support mandatory country of origin labeling, which will give our farmers and ranchers a greater chance to compete in the marketplace, and value-added agriculture, which creates more agriculture jobs in our state. As your Senator, I anticipate playing a key role in preparing the 2007 Farm Bill to ensure that our farming and ranching families receive the support they deserve.
Farmers and ranchers across South Dakota continue to suffer from crop and livestock losses caused by a prolonged drought in our state. I and members of my staff have recently toured many areas affected by historically dry summer months. As our farmers continue to face another dry season compounded by high fuel and fertilizer costs, Congress must act now on disaster relief to help our farmers pay off production loans and secure financing for continued operations.
Over the summer months, I have been working with the rest of the congressional delegation to provide timely release of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land for haying and grazing, including land under the CP-23 program. On July 7, 2006, the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) approved several South Dakota counties for emergency grazing and haying of CRP acres. CRP acres within 150 miles from any approved county are also available for haying and grazing. The FSA has also made available $1,963,000 in Emergency Conservation Program funding for farmers and ranchers suffering from drought conditions. For more information on emergency haying and grazing in South Dakota, please visit the South Dakota FSA website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/sd/sd.htm.
While the opening of CRP acres and the availability of Emergency Conservation Funds provide some relief, more needs to be done in response to historic drought conditions. I am a cosponsor of the Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act (S.2438), which would provide $3.9 billion in economic assistance to agricultural producers for losses from weather related causes during the 2005 crop year. Further, the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee has approved the 2007 Agriculture Appropriations Bill with nearly $4.2 billion in emergency aid for farmers and ranchers. This bill must still be considered by the full Senate.
As we deal with yet another year of dry conditions in South Dakota, be assured I will continue fighting for timely agriculture disaster relief. Below are several links that provide additional drought relief information for our producers and others impacted by drought conditions.
| Drought Resources for South Dakotans |
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United States Senator - John Thune
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