U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member of the Agriculture, Energy and Veterans Affairs Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

March 16, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


 Sen. Salazar Works for Disaster Relief for Farmers, Ranchers and Rural Communities

Washington, D.C. – United States Ken Salazar and a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues introduced legislation today, the “Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006,” which would provide immediate relief to farmers and ranchers suffering from ongoing losses due to natural disaster or rising input costs, like fuel.

This year, American Agriculture is suffering from a triple blow: 1) smaller harvests as a result of drought and other natural disasters; 2) lower prices; and 3) higher costs for fuel and other inputs.

“Consistent natural disasters over the past six years have taken their toll on farmers and ranchers across Colorado,” Salazar said. “In addition, increasing gas prices have hit our rural communities hard, making it virtually impossible for many producers to cover the unexpected additional costs. I heard from one Colorado farmer in Kit Carson County who has estimated that in order to harvest this year, he will need an additional $46,000 to cover fuel costs alone.”

Many areas in Colorado suffer from ongoing extreme weather conditions including drought, hail and frost. Contributing to the need for disaster relief, farm fuel has increased by 79 percent from September of 2004 to September 2005.

The “Emergency Agricultural Disaster Assistance Act of 2006” provides economic assistance to agricultural producers for losses incurred during the 2005 production year. The legislation is comprehensive and national in scope, covering losses from hurricanes, drought, flood, disease and other weather related causes.

Specifically, the legislation provides assistance for crop production loss as well as assistance for sugarbeet losses. The bill provides for a Livestock Compensation program for producers in designated disaster counties for their added costs of procuring livestock feed. Finally, this legislation will also provide supplemental nutrition and economic disaster assistance in the form of a supplemental direct payment.

The bill enjoys wide, bipartisan support, including Senators Mark Dayton (D-MN), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Mel Martinez (R-FL), Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Harry Reid (D-NV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Jim Talent (R-MO), Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-MO), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Norm Coleman (R-MN), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Conrad Burns (R-MT), Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Max Baucus (D-MT).

A summary of the bill can be accessed by clicking here.

###