 On Monday, Michael Scuse, under secretary for farm and foreign
agricultural services, began a tour of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana --
three states affected by severe frost and freezes in the spring,
with Indiana now experiencing increasing levels of drought. In the
weeks ahead, additional USDA sub-Cabinet leaders will travel to
Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, New
Mexico, Texas and other states to augment ongoing assistance from
state-level USDA staff.USDA officials will also provide guidance
on the department's existing disaster resources and remind producers
to keep thorough records of losses, as the department's authority to
operate the five disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008
Farm Bill expired on Sept. 30, 2011, and Congress has not yet acted
to restore these vital forms of assistance.
"Our hearts go out to all of those affected by this year's
disasters, from frost and freezes to fires and drought," said
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Without a robust package of
disaster assistance programs available to struggling farmers and
ranchers, it is important that USDA officials visit rural
communities and talk with producers, not only about their current
options but also about the need for proper planning through these
difficult times. And we remind Congress that as agriculture remains
a bright spot in our nation's economy, it is crucial that producers
have a safety net in times of need and that USDA has the tools to
act quickly and deliver assistance when producers need it most."
USDA agencies have been working for weeks with state and local
officials, as well as individuals, businesses, farmers and ranchers,
as they begin the process of helping to get people back on their
feet. USDA offers a variety of resources for states and individuals
affected by the recent disasters. Individuals can also apply for
other types of federal disaster assistance at
www.disasterassistance.gov.
In rural communities, USDA's Rural Development works with
existing individual and community borrowers that have been affected
by a natural disaster to help them with their loans. With respect to
loans guaranteed by Rural Development, borrowers should initially
contact their lender for assistance.
USDA's Farm Service Agency provides emergency loans to help
producers recover from production and physical losses due to natural
disasters. Producers will be eligible for these loans as soon as
their county is declared a presidential or secretarial disaster
county. Last week, Vilsack announced three significant improvements
to USDA programs and processes related to secretarial disaster
designations: a final rule that simplifies the process for
secretarial disaster designations and will result in a 40 percent
reduction in processing time for most counties affected by
disasters; a reduced interest rate for emergency loans that
effectively lowers the current rate from 3.75 percent to 2.25
percent; and a payment reduction on Conservation Reserve Program
lands qualified for emergency haying and grazing in 2012, from 25 to
10 percent.
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Hot, dry and drought conditions across states from California to
Delaware have damaged some crops and slowed development of others.
USDA's Risk Management Agency reminds producers faced with questions
on crop losses to contact their crop insurance companies and local
USDA Farm Service Agency Service Centers, as applicable, to report
damage to crops or livestock losses, and not to destroy or
discontinue care for the crops. Farmers and ranchers who participate
in the federal crop insurance program are reminded to contact their
agent or company as soon as they experience any failing crops. USDA
assures producers that indemnity payments will be made to producers
who submit claims for crops and livestock. In addition, USDA reminds
livestock producers to keep thorough records of losses, including
additional expenses for such things as food purchased due to lost
supplies.
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service administers the
Emergency Watershed Protection program, which provides assistance to
areas that have been damaged by natural disasters, such as floods,
windstorms, drought and wildfires. In partnership and through local
government sponsors, NRCS helps local communities recover from
natural disasters.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service provides food assistance to
those in need in areas affected by a disaster. This federal
assistance is in addition to that provided by state and local
governments. USDA provides disaster food assistance in three ways:
provides foods to state agencies for distribution to shelters and
other mass feeding sites; provides food to state agencies for
distribution directly to households in need in certain limited
situations; and authorizes state agencies to issue Disaster
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
For additional information and updates about USDA's efforts,
visit www.usda.gov/disaster.
The Obama administration, with Vilsack's leadership, has worked
to strengthen rural America, maintain a strong farm safety net and
create opportunities for America's farmers and ranchers. U.S.
agriculture has been experiencing one of its most productive periods
in the country’s history, thanks to the productivity, resiliency and
resourcefulness of producers. A strong farm safety net is important
to sustain the success of American agriculture.
USDA's crop insurance program currently insures 264 million
acres, 1.14 million policies and $110 billion worth of liability on
about 500,000 farms. In response to tighter financial markets, USDA
has expanded the availability of farm credit, helping struggling
farmers refinance loans. In the past three years, USDA provided
103,000 loans totaling $14.6 billion to family farmers. Over 50
percent of the loans went to beginning and socially disadvantaged
farmers and ranchers.
[Text from file received from USDA
news release received
from the Farm Service Agency in Springfield] |
