Lawmakers are considering a massive disaster aid package with more than $20 billion on the line for agriculture. However, some hope the deal will go even further.
During a Senate Appropriations hearing, North Dakota Senator John Hoeven was sure to point out other issues hurting farmers and ranchers this year, like low crop prices an widespread drought. He is asking the assistance package be passed but says there needs to be other guarantees in place.
“Everybody knows about the hurricanes and the disasters and all that, you see it on television and everything else, but that’s the rest of the story that has really put our farmers and ranchers up against it. So the key here is that we not only provide this disaster assistance, but you that you work with us, that USDA works with us so that we structure it right, not only in terms of making it effective to meet the need, but to help us get this farm bill done. So that when our producers go in, and I think it was Senator Bozeman talking about or maybe one of the others, that they can get a plan and get credit to farm next year. We’re losing farms at a high rate, and the farms we’re going to lose as a result of these disasters and the drought everything else are the ones that are on the edge. Those are the ones that get hit the hardest.”
