WASHINGTON, DC – Following today’s announcement by the Obama Administration of new efforts to help farmers and ranchers suffering from historic drought, U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, ranking member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry applauded these actions but called for still more assistance to help those in need.

“I am glad the Administration agreed to several of our recommendations on how to aid farmers and ranchers hit hard by this drought,” Roberts said. “This emergency has immediate and long term consequences for all Americans, but especially those in farm country. While I am pleased with the actions announced today, there is still more that can be done by the administration, specifically approving a limited irrigation crop insurance policy.”

Senator Roberts sent a letter, signed by Republicans on the Senate Agriculture Committee, to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack highlighting several ways Sec. Vilsack and the Obama administration can help producers, including approving a limited irrigation crop insurance policy, keeping producers apprised of crop insurance rules, providing guidance to producers and elevators, keeping producers informed of crop contaminates, directing crop adjusters to areas most in need, possibly reimbursing transportation of livestock to new grazing locations and getting water to livestock among other requests. Text of the letter can be found here.

On Senator Roberts’ website is a page dedicated entirely to drought resources. It can be found here or at roberts.senate.gov. It includes links to federal and state resources for those suffering from drought conditions. He also released a public service announcement last week, urging Kansans to call their Farm Service Agency office for immediate assistance. The PSA can be found here.

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