News Releases for February 2003
February 13, 2003
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Hoeven: Disaster Aid Package To Be Targeted To Producers Who Suffered Losses
Adequate Compensation for Ranchers Still Lacking
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today said that Congress’s disaster aid package in the 2003 omnibus spending bill will be targeted to crop producers most severely affected by weather-related losses, which Hoeven has been urging. However, the measure doesn’t go far enough to relieve ranchers hard hit by drought, the Governor said.
The news came following a meeting Thursday between U.S. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte’s chief of staff, Bill O’Connor, and Lt. Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who traveled to Washington, D.C. this week in an effort to rally support for the long delayed package. U.S. House and Senate negotiators completed the agreement today.
Under the plan, $2.1 billion of the $3.1 billion package will go to farmers who sustained losses of more than 35 percent in either 2001 or 2002, according to the Governor. Crop producers will receive about half the value of insured crops for weather-related and crop-quality losses. The remaining $1 billion will be earmarked for assistance to livestock producers, sugar beet producers, surplus commodity purchases, southern farmers who incurred hurricane losses during the past two years and administration costs.
“The agreement has a number of good features for North Dakota crop producers but doesn’t do enough to assist ranchers,” Hoeven said. “Also, we would have preferred the money come from across the board cuts in other spending, and not from Farm Bill spending, but the assistance is needed now and Congress has finally delivered for farmers. We’re grateful to Congressman Goodlatte for working with us and pushing targeted assistance in the agreement.”
In addition to the crop loss payments, the measure allocates only $365 million for livestock producers. Although it will correct discrepancies in previous livestock assistance programs, the spending doesn’t significantly compensate ranchers for pasture and hay losses from severe drought.
Dalrymple said the total $3.1 billion would come from a reduction in spending on the Conservation Security Program, a new provision of the Farm Bill that has not yet been implemented. The Lt. Gov. said the program uses future spending, which is a problem, but he emphasized that the current need is critical.
Hoeven and three other governors sent a letter to the White House earlier this week urging President Bush to support disaster assistance. The Governor also spoke this week with U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to urge inclusion of the aid package and targeted payments to farmers and ranchers directly impacted by disaster.
“The Governor worked hard to ensure that the money goes to farmers and ranchers who were truly impacted by drought and other weather-related losses,” Dalrymple said. “We’re pleased to see that our farmers will finally get some relief, but we’re disappointed the package doesn’t do more for ranchers.”
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